Zelensky: U.S. exploring Russia-Ukraine winter de-escalation steps
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Add Axios on Google U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff appear with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a joint press conference following their talks in Kyiv Sunday. Photo: Genya Savilov / AFP via Getty Images
The U.S. is exploring whether Ukraine and Russia could take steps to de-escalate the war during the winter while restarting negotiations toward a broader peace agreement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Axios in an interview Monday.
Why it matters: The Ukrainian president believes the weeks before winter offer a window for diplomacy . While Zelensky said he's convinced Russian President Vladimir Putin is counting on another brutal winter to weaken Ukraine, he added that Putin "needs Trump " and doesn't want to antagonize the U.S. president ahead of the midterm elections.
Driving the news: Zelensky met in Kyiv on Sunday with Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. It was their first visit to Ukraine since Trump started his second term.
Behind the scenes: Zelensky said the U.S. envoys came to Moscow and Kyiv primarily to "unblock" the diplomatic process, but also brought some new ideas.
Yes, but: U.S. officials say they don't know if it will be possible to address the interests of both Russia and Ukraine ahead of winter. Countless previous attempts to reach ceasefires or pause strikes on energy facilities have failed.
What to watch: Zelensky said the U.S. team is expected to brief Trump and then continue consultations with Ukrainian and European officials.
State of play: Zelensky said the U.S. also supports a separate "winter package" for Ukraine that would include air defense and energy assistance.
The big picture: Zelensky believes Putin is counting on the winter to inflict enough damage on Ukraine to force Kyiv into further concessions.
What's next: Zelensky said Ukraine wants to use September and October to restart a diplomatic process and suggested the UN General Assembly in New York later this month as a possible venue for further U.S.-Ukraine talks.
Reality check: Zelensky said Ukraine would need to remain militarily strong throughout any diplomatic process and argued that Kyiv is currently in a better position on the battlefield than it was previously despite shortages in its air defense and continued Russian drone and missile attacks.
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