Ukraine and Russia must sit at the negotiating table before the next winter, — Volodymyr Zelenskyy
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that a diplomatic way to end the war must be found and negotiations with Russia should begin before the next winter.
According to him, starting from December 2025, Russia began to lose initiative on the battlefield. He noted that in January 2026 he informed American partners about the possibility of a "window for negotiations," as each month Russia, in his opinion, would lose more and more military personnel.
Zelenskyy claims that currently Russian forces cannot occupy more territory in a month than Ukraine liberates.
"I believe that we need to find a diplomatic way – sit down and talk – before the next winter. But this depends on internal pressure on Putin from his society, as well as sanctions pressure from the US and Europe on Russia," the President said.
Commenting on the possible format of Europe's participation in the negotiations, Zelenskyy mentioned the E3 format, which includes the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. He noted that he is not sure if this is the best option, but these countries can represent Europe.
He also added that Ukraine has partners in Northern Europe, and Turkey has repeatedly acted as a mediator and facilitated, in particular, the return of Ukrainian prisoners of war.
According to Zelenskyy, the final decision on who will represent Europe in possible negotiations should be made jointly by Ukraine and European countries. At the same time, he emphasized that the key condition remains Russia's readiness for dialogue and Europe's participation in this process.
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