Zelensky sees window for US mediation to end Ukraine war

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky believes there is a window of opportunity from December 2023 until the end of summer 2027 for the United States to mediate an end to the conflict with Russia. Zelensky, along with US and European officials, has drafted a list of suggestions to present to Moscow, including a ceasefire and a proposed free economic zone in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region to be managed by third parties.

The Kremlin has raised doubts about the feasibility of such a zone, claiming the territory belongs to Russia. The Ukrainian leader stated that his proposed ideas are not exclusively Ukrainian, but a joint effort with the US and Europeans. Russia remains open to listening to new proposals but insists they must reflect realities on the ground, with its primary goal being to capture the remaining Donbas region.

Finland's President Alexander Stubb's support for Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory has been criticized by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as evidence of wanting the war to continue. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and a Vatican envoy met in Moscow to discuss potential avenues for peace, focusing on humanitarian matters like the plight of children in the war zone.