The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy Chief of Staff Kyrylo Budanov said on Monday that he believed he had agreed on a deal to end the war against Russia by winter it was a “realistic” result.
said Zelenskyy in an interview broadcast on Sunday that he wanted to resume peace talks with Russia, which have stalled in recent months, before the onset of winter to take account of Kiev’s improved strategic position.
US-brokered talks on moving towards a peace deal have stalled as Washington has focused on the conflict in Iran.
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Budanov said he expected a US delegation to visit Moscow and Kiev in the near future, without giving details.
“This is the president’s directive: to try to end this war as quickly as possible … preferably before winter,” he told reporters at a news conference. “In my opinion, this is absolutely accurate, timely and realistic.”
Zelenskyy and other Ukrainian officials have said Russian forces’ progress has slowed on the ground as Ukraine has intensified a campaign of long-range attacks inside Russia, mainly targeting the oil industry.
A senior Ukrainian commander said last week that Ukraine had a six month window in which to seize the initiative on the battlefield and strengthen its hand for peace talks.
