President Zelenskyy signals possible end date for Russia-Ukraine war
Volodymyr Zelenskyy (photo: Getty Images)
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he expects peace in the war with Russia to be achieved in less than a year, according to the French television channel France 2.
Read also: Zelenskyy announces first prisoner swap with Russia in four months.
The war remains a matter of the state’s survival for Ukraine, yet a diplomatic path to ending the conflict is still considered possible. At the same time, the timeline for achieving peace is assessed as relatively short.
In this context, Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that the current war is existential for Ukraine, as it directly threatens the country’s existence as an independent state.
“If we lose this war, we will lose the independence of our country,” Zelenskyy said.
He stressed that the loss of sovereignty and the possible absorption by Russia would be catastrophic for Ukrainians.
At the same time, the president expressed confidence that such a scenario would not materialize. He also emphasized hope for a diplomatic end to the war.
“I hope that peace will be achieved in less than a year,” he noted.
Security threats and wartime losses
The interview also stated that the head of state is constantly under threat from Russia. According to him, assassination attempts have been made multiple times, and living under heightened danger has become routine.
In addition, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine’s confirmed losses in the war with Russia amount to 55,000 killed. At the same time, a significant number of people remain who the state continues to consider missing.
Talks in Abu Dhabi on February 4–5
The first day of trilateral talks involving the Ukrainian, American, and Russian sides concluded in Abu Dhabi on February 4. The discussions lasted about five hours, with continuation scheduled for February 5.
National Security and Defense Council Secretary and head of the Ukrainian delegation, Rustem Umerov, said that after the main meeting, work continued in separate group formats.
Earlier, it was reported that the Ukrainian delegation had arrived in Abu Dhabi to participate in negotiations among Ukraine, the US, and Russia. On February 3, Zelenskyy said that Russian strikes on energy infrastructure indicate Moscow’s unwillingness to negotiate, which would lead to adjustments on the Ukrainian side.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree on a кадрове decision in the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine, appointing First Deputy Head Oleh Luhovskyi as the agency's acting head. The document, published on the president’s website, stipulates that Luhovskyi will perform the duties of head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine.
President Zelenskyy became the target of an assassination attempt whose preparation, as established by a court in Poland, involved a 50-year-old man found guilty of spying for Russian intelligence. According to the investigation, in 2024, he assisted in organizing actions against the president of Ukraine, for which he was convicted by the Polish authorities.
