Zelensky says Russia ‘ready to negotiate’, says Axios

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky indicated on Monday that Russia displayed willingness to negotiate a resolution to the conflict at meetings with US envoys, according to Axios. US Special Envoys for Peace Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner led a weekend visit to Moscow and Kyiv, marking Washington's latest effort to break the diplomatic deadlock in Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II. The four-year-old war began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Witkoff reported progress in the meetings and suggested the possibility of reviving three-way peace talks to end the war. Zelensky disclosed to Axios that the US was striving to de-escalate the conflict before the harsh winter. Russia has targeted Ukraine's energy grid each winter since the invasion, disrupting power and heating for millions during sub-zero temperatures.

The US envoys reportedly informed Zelensky that Russia is "ready to negotiate." He added that the US administration, under President Donald Trump, could pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to de-escalate the situation. Putin, Zelensky stated, "doesn't want to upset his US counterpart."

The weekend talks covered US proposals related to energy facilities, grain shipments, and oil and gas exports. However, Zelensky did not provide additional details. The Ukrainian leader emphasized the US approach aimed to resume negotiations between the warring nations and ensure the upcoming winter would be different from previous ones, with the goal to bring the sides closer to peace.