Zelensky Considers War Freeze as Peace Talks Resume
Ukrainian President Zelensky suggests a ceasefire at current lines as diplomacy with Russia and Western allies continues.
2 min read
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has indicated he would accept a peace deal that freezes the war along current front lines, calling it the ‘real way’ to end the conflict. During an interview on Fox News’s Fox & Friends, Zelensky was asked directly if he would agree to a settlement that halts fighting where the battlefield now stands. He responded affirmatively, stating, ‘Yes, right now we have to freeze, and I think this is real way to end this war.’ Zelensky emphasized that such a freeze would be the minimum requirement from Russia and would need to be paired with Western backing.
Peace Proposal and Western Support
Zelensky expressed that any ceasefire would need to be accompanied by security guarantees from the United States and European nations. ‘Then, of course, we will go to [the U.S.] president and to Europeans, and we will ask for security guarantees,’ he said. The Ukrainian leader framed the proposal as an opening into negotiations rather than a final territorial settlement, stressing that the priority is stopping the killing before talks on a durable peace.
Recent Diplomatic Efforts
The interview aired a day after Zelensky met with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff in Oslo, Norway, alongside Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, and representatives from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Poland, the European Union, and NATO. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner joined that meeting by video link. Witkoff then traveled directly to St. Petersburg to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, carrying an updated framework proposal developed with Ukrainian and European input.
Sanctions and Summit Calls
Zelensky also mentioned his willingness to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries if Moscow takes reciprocal steps. He reiterated his call for a trilateral summit with Putin and Trump, a format the Kremlin has so far rejected. Trump has been pressing both sides toward a settlement after months of stalled diplomacy, with his envoys shuttling between Kyiv’s European backers and Moscow to assemble a workable framework. Zelensky recently expressed concerns that the administration’s move to pause Russian sanctions would embolden Putin.
Source: Breitbart
