Zelenskyy believes Trump administration can pressure Putin into de-escalation
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the US is exploring whether Ukraine and Russia could take steps to de-escalate the war over the winter while also resuming negotiations on a broader peace agreement.
Source: Zelenskyy in an interview with Axios, as reported by European Pravda
Details: Zelenskyy believes the weeks remaining before winter provide an opportunity for diplomatic efforts.
Although the Ukrainian president said Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin is counting on another harsh winter to weaken Ukraine, he also believes that Putin "needs Trump" and does not want to antagonise the US president ahead of the midterm elections.
"My feeling [is] that Putin needs Trump. He doesn't want ... to upset him," Zelenskyy said.
The president noted that even if Putin does not want to de-escalate, the Trump administration may be able to put pressure on him to do so.
Asked whether Putin might want to hand Trump a diplomatic victory ahead of the midterms, Zelenskyy replied: "Yeah."
Background:
- In the same interview, Zelenskyy said he has received a message from Trump's negotiators that "the Russians are ready to negotiate".
- He also believes there is a possibility of another round of trilateral Ukraine-US-Russia talks, although no decision has yet been made.
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