When could war end? Zelenskyy outlines prospects and key challenges
Photo: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (president.gov.ua)
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated, during a press conference with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, that the negotiation process to end the war is continuing at several levels. However, the key difficulties remain political, particularly the issue of territories and the presence of political will.
Read also: President of Ukraine announces separate talks with US and Russia
Talks in Switzerland and preparation of a plan
According to the head of state, new consultations between the Ukrainian and American sides will take place in the near future.
"Just this morning, I had a briefing from National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov. He is on his way to Switzerland. Tomorrow there will be a bilateral meeting there between Ukraine and the American side," Zelenskyy said.
The president clarified that the sides will work on an economic document, while Ukraine is simultaneously preparing its own comprehensive plan.
"In parallel, we are working on a 20-point plan, security guarantees, and a prosperity package," he emphasized.
US wants a swift end to the war
Zelenskyy confirmed that Washington advocates for ending the war as quickly as possible, but stressed that the issue is far more complex than it appears.
"We understand that the Americans want to end this war as soon as possible, but in my opinion, the difficulties now are not only on the military track," the president explained.
He also said he discussed with partners the format of a trilateral dialogue involving military representatives of Ukraine, the United States, and Russia to potentially monitor a ceasefire.
"Generals from Ukraine, the United States, and Russia discussed how to monitor a ceasefire when it comes," Zelenskyy noted.
Main obstacles: political will and territories
The president stressed that the core problems remain unchanged and relate to political decisions.
"The problem is the political will to stop this war and the issue of territories. These are the difficulties we have," he said.
According to him, the next round of talks may take place in the first days of March, but major breakthroughs should not be expected.
“I am not sure that tomorrow we will have a clear result regarding land and territories… these issues, in my opinion, must be elevated to the level of leaders,” the president added.
Zelenskyy emphasized that humanitarian issues remain among the key topics of negotiations.
"And of course, prisoner exchanges. That is where we are. But I am not sure that tomorrow we will have a clear result regarding land and territories, for example, because these issues, I repeat again and again, in my opinion, must be elevated to the level of leaders," the head of state concluded.
Talks between Ukraine, US, and Russia
It is worth recalling that on February 21, President Zelenskyy spoke with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, informing him about preparations for the fourth round of negotiations and possible shifts in the parties’ positions.
According to Zelenskyy, the next meeting could again take place in Geneva within the next ten days. Earlier, on February 17–18, the third round of trilateral talks between Ukraine, the US, and Russia was held there.
According to Axios, the political part of the consultations has stalled due to the position of the head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, while CNN reported “significant progress” in the work of the military subgroup, particularly regarding ceasefire mechanisms.
Previously, Zelenskyy stated that if hostilities cease, monitoring would primarily be handled by the United States. At the same time, he confirmed that no agreement has yet been reached on the issue of Donbas.
