Un hope for peace in 2025? Volodymyr Zelensky reaffirmed his ambition to end the war in his country by next year, favoring a resolution by “diplomatic means”. In an interview broadcast this Saturday, November 16, the Ukrainian president nevertheless expressed his doubts about the intentions of his Russian counterpart, believing that Vladimir Putin does not want “peace at all”.
Volodymyr Zelensky also spoke of a “really complicated” situation on the eastern front, where the Russian army is progressing rapidly against fewer and less well-armed Ukrainian troops. “We must do everything to ensure that this war ends next year. We must end it through diplomatic means,” he said.
ALSO READ Ukraine: to negotiate or not, Zelensky's dilemmaAsked about the conditions necessary for the opening of negotiations, the leader estimated that this would only be possible if “Ukraine is not alone with Russia” and if it is “strong”, in a strong call to its Western partners.
“If we only talk with Putin, only with a murderer, and we find ourselves in the current conditions, not reinforced by some important elements, I think Ukraine loses from these negotiations,” said Volodymyr Zelensky . According to him, this would not lead to “a just end” to the war, triggered by the Russian invasion of February 2022.
American uncertainty, a challenge for kyiv
kyiv fears losing the support of the United States, essential for its army in difficulty on the front, after the victory of Republican Donald Trump in the presidential election. The latter has often criticized the aid provided by his country and assured that he could resolve the conflict in “24 hours” without ever detailing his method. Volodymyr Zelensky fears being forced into negotiations unfavorable to Ukraine.
ALSO READ The Trump threat shakes a recovering EuropeOn Friday, kyiv was annoyed by a telephone conversation between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Vladimir Putin, the first meeting in almost two years between the two leaders. Talking to Vladimir Putin “opens Pandora’s box,” the Ukrainian president castigated.
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The Russian and Ukrainian positions are nevertheless opposed. kyiv excludes the transfer of territories occupied by the Russian army, while Moscow sets it as a condition. Vladimir Putin again told Olaf Scholz on Friday that a peace agreement with Ukraine should take into account “new territorial realities”, according to the Kremlin.
The Russian army is advancing against the Ukrainian troops, because the resupply of weapons and new recruits is “slow”, explained the Ukrainian president, while emphasizing Moscow's heavy human losses. The Russian Defense Ministry also claimed Saturday the capture of two new villages in the Donetsk region.
