Zelenskyy hopes to end war through diplomacy as early as next year

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that ending the fighting is Ukraine's main priority and expressed hope that peace could be achieved within the next year through active diplomatic efforts and negotiations.

Source: Zelenskyy in an interview with French broadcaster France 2

Quote: "I really hope [that there will be peace in Ukraine in a year]. We will do everything we can. This is our priority. Mine and my team's. My team is negotiating right now. Our priority is to bring this war to an end."

Details: Zelenskyy stressed that Russia is trying to present its ultimatums as a search for compromise while continuing to attack civilians and use cold weather as a weapon. He said that the more civilians Russia kills, the further away the prospect of genuine agreements becomes.

He underlined that a diplomatic path does not mean capitulation or accepting Russian ultimatums, stressing that Moscow's demand that Ukrainian forces withdraw from Donbas is a "red line".

Zelenskyy noted that even a "freezing" of the line of contact at its current positions would be a "huge concession" by Ukraine, but said he remains ready for dialogue in order to preserve the country's independence.

He also commented on French President Emmanuel Macron's initiative to resume dialogue with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. The Ukrainian leader said talks are possible, but only "with conditions", adding that pressure on Russia remains insufficient and that Putin is currently using negotiations to humiliate Europe rather than seek peace.

In the same interview, Zelenskyy said that 55,000 Ukrainian service personnel have been killed over the four years of full-scale war, while a significant number of defenders are still considered missing. A year earlier, in an interview with NBC, he reported more than 46,000 military fatalities.

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