Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced during a television interview aired Sunday that he aims to advance peace negotiations with Russia before winter arrives, capitalizing on what he describes as Ukraine’s enhanced strategic standing.
Peace discussions facilitated by the United States have reached an impasse as Washington has shifted attention to the conflict in Iran.
According to Zelenskiy and other Ukrainian leadership, Russian military advancement has decelerated while Ukraine has escalated medium and long-range attacks within Russian territory, primarily focusing on Russia’s petroleum sector.
“It began in December 2025, Russia began to lose the initiative on the battlefield,” Zelenskiy stated during his appearance on CBS Television’s ‘Face the Nation’.
“So now we have this period of time before the winter… before the winter we need to find a way, diplomatic way, to sit and to speak,” Zelenskiy explained, noting that success depends on mounting pressure against Russian President Vladimir Putin, “the pressure in his society, and I think that is increasing, the pressure by sanctions — not to lift them, to put more.”
The Ukrainian leader mentioned potential negotiations facilitated by European nations or direct discussions with Russia, while reiterating his demand for stricter sanctions against Russia.
A high-ranking Ukrainian military official informed Reuters during an interview the previous week that Ukraine possesses a six-month opportunity to capture battlefield momentum and improve its position for future peace negotiations.
Brigadier General Andriy Biletsky, leading Ukraine’s Third Army Corps, expressed his assessment that Russia’s military forces are depleted and unable to achieve significant advances.
During his CBS interview, Zelenskiy also emphasized Ukraine’s need for American assistance with air defense missiles while European anti-missile defense systems remain unavailable.
“Until the moment we will produce our European anti-ballistic system, until this moment, we need support from the United States,” he stated.
Ukraine anticipates securing an agreement with the United States regarding collaborative drone technology, with Kyiv offering knowledge gained from five years of intercepting Russian drones and missiles.
“We have already drone deals with some Middle East countries and we have already drone deals with some European countries,” he said. “Now we’re preparing the big drone deal with the European Union and I hope that we will have such decisions with American partners. I count on it.”
