Zelensky: There is “window” for achieving peace before US midterm elections
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he sees a “window” of opportunity for achieving peace between now and the US midterm elections in November.
According to Ukrinform, he made this statement in an interview with Sky News.
Zelensky confirmed that he is ready to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin for talks and will do everything to achieve peace, but Ukraine will not give up its territories.
According to the president, the US has the power to end the war but must exert more pressure on Moscow. "The United States is even stronger than they think about themselves. And I think so really. And they really have pressure on Putin. They can stop this war," Zelensky emphasized.
The Ukrainian leader, in particular, called on the administration in Washington to tighten sanctions against the families of the Russian leadership and provide Ukraine with more modern weapons, arguing that only increased pressure will force Moscow to take the negotiations seriously.
When asked how close Ukraine is to achieving peace, Zelensky replied that there is a “window” between the present moment and the US midterm elections in November.
"Now I think that we have a chance. Between us, what I really think about next year… it depends on these months, if we will have a chance to finish the war before autumn. Before elections, important, influential, elections in the United States. If it will be possible to achieve a peace, we will have, now we have this window," he said.
The journalist also asked Zelensky whether Ukraine could win the war. "It depends what people mean when they say, to win. And, really it's very difficult to speak about territories. First of all how to get back all of the land for today, it's very difficult. And it will be too much losses (of) people lives… But what is good that Russia also can't do it on the battlefield. So that's why they're not winning and we are not losing," Zelensky answered.
Regarding the surrender of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, the president responded unequivocally: 'This would be a "red line".
"It's our territory and it sounds unbelievably strange why we have to withdraw from our land? Why they occupied it, our land and nobody can push them out. If we will withdraw from this territory, like you said, for example, Sloviansk at the very moment, at this very moment, 200,000 people who are there now will be occupied by the Russians, who said to Russia that these people are ready to be Russian people? And if they don't, they will kill them or push to the front or push to the prison," he explained.
As reported by Ukrinform, another round of negotiations concludes in Geneva on Thursday. The work took place in two formats: separately with the American side, and in a trilateral meeting with the US and Switzerland.
The subsequent peace talks will take place in Abu Dhabi in early March.
Photo: Office of the President