Zelensky says Russia ‘ready to negotiate’, says Axios

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed on Monday that Russia expressed willingness to negotiate towards a resolution of the conflict at talks with US envoys, according to Axios. The weekend meetings in Moscow and Kyiv, which included US Special Envoys for Peace Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, were Washington's latest attempt to break the diplomatic deadlock in Europe's worst conflict since World War II.

The invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022 has resulted in the country's energy grid being targeted each winter, leaving millions without power and heating in temperatures as low as -20C. Zelensky told Axios that the US envoys, who held individual discussions with Ukrainian and Russian leaders, informed him that "the Russians are ready to negotiate."

He added that the United States was pushing to de-escalate the conflict ahead of the long winter and believed that Russia may be counting on the winter to break Ukraine. However, Zelensky stated that the US administration, under President Donald Trump, could pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to de-escalate the situation, as Putin did not want to upset his US counterpart.

At the weekend talks, the US proposed discussions around energy facilities, grain shipments, and oil and gas exports, though Zelensky did not provide further details. The Ukrainian leader emphasized that the US approach aimed to revive negotiations between the warring parties and ensure the coming winter would be different from previous years, ultimately bringing the sides closer to a peaceful resolution.