Zelenskyy receives message from Trump's envoys that "Russians are ready to negotiate"

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said after meeting US envoys that he had received a message from them: "the Russians are ready to negotiate".

Source: Zelenskyy in an interview with Axios, as reported by European Pravda

Details: On 6 September, Zelenskyy met presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Kyiv. They had arrived in the Ukrainian capital after meeting Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

Zelenskyy said the message he received from the US envoys was that "the Russians are ready to negotiate".

He remains sceptical, however, as Russia's actions on the battlefield and the recent escalation in attacks do not indicate a readiness for compromise.

However, Zelenskyy said that the US envoys made it known that Putin is "ready to discuss" ideas for moving the negotiation process forward.

The Ukrainian president also noted that the envoys travelled to Moscow and Kyiv primarily to "unblock" the diplomatic process, but also brought several new ideas.

He declined to disclose all the details, but said some of the discussions concerned potential de-escalation steps by Russia and Ukraine ahead of and during the winter.

"There are ideas around energy [facilities] and around grain [shipments], around electricity [facilities] and around oil and gas [exports]. We have different interests, Russia and we," Zelenskyy said.

When asked whether the new US approach involved both resuming negotiations and seeking agreements that would allow Ukraine and Russia to get through the winter without a serious escalation, Zelenskyy said that this interpretation was "very close to the reality of these conversations".

He described the first goal as resuming negotiations and the second as an attempt to make the coming winter different from previous ones. The president added that the aim would be to find measures, either before or during the winter, "which can bring [the] sides closer to the peace".

Zelenskyy said the US also supports a separate "winter package" for Ukraine, which would include assistance in air defence and the energy sector.

"It's not only about missiles. It's also about LNG [liquefied natural gas] ... and it's also about steps of de-escalation," he added.

Background:

• A source at the Élysée Palace has told European Pravda that Putin will be ready to resume peace negotiations on Ukraine after the Russian parliamentary elections on 18-20 September.
• Following the talks in Kyiv with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the national security advisers from France, Germany and the UK – Emmanuel Bonne, Günter Sautter and Jonathan Powell – agreed to draw up, together with their Ukrainian counterparts, the conditions they will put forward in further negotiations with Russia over the coming weeks.
• Following his meeting with Trump's special envoys, Zelenskyy also announced preparations for further meetings and relevant communication.

Subscribe on Patreon to back our journalism long-term.