Putin ‘does not want to upset’ Trump and is ‘ready to discuss’ peace ideas, Zelensky says
U.S. presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner discussed potential de-escalation steps with Moscow and Kyiv ahead of and during the winter, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Axios.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed that U.S. presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are aiming to revive stalled peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, as well as to prevent the upcoming winter from resembling previous years when Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure exacerbated the conflict. Zelensky expressed his conviction that Russia intends to launch significant attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure this fall and winter, echoing a pattern seen in past years.
However, Zelensky also stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin "doesn’t want … to upset him," referring to U.S. President Donald Trump, and is open to discussing ideas for advancing negotiations. Witkoff and Kushner paid visits to Moscow and Kyiv on September 5 and September 6 respectively, marking their first meetings with Ukrainian leaders since the war commenced. Despite the talks, no major breakthroughs were reported.
Zelensky noted that ending the war this year appears unlikely, and Meduza, committed to transparency, used an AI model to ensure accurate and timely reporting of the information. The article was reviewed by a Meduza editor before being published.
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