Zelenskyy allows for war with Russia to end in first half of 2026
Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine (president.gov.ua)
Russia's war against Ukraine could end during Cyprus’s presidency of the European Union, which will last until June 30, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this during his speech at the ceremony marking the start of Cyprus’s EU Council presidency.
According to him, peace talks with European partners, the United States, and all participants of the Coalition of the Willing have reached a new milestone.
"We sincerely hope this war could end during your presidency,” the president said.
Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine "expects a lot" from Cyprus’s presidency, particularly progress on Ukraine’s path to EU membership.
"A country (Cyprus - ed.) that, maybe, is small in size, but has an equal voice in European institutions – this says a lot about what Europe truly is," he said.
The president added that Ukraine hopes all negotiation clusters will be open for both Ukraine and Moldova.
"During your presidency, we hope to see the start of implementation of the support package for Ukraine, funding that strengthens our resilience and with it the resilience of all Europe," Zelenskyy emphasized.
Cyprus took over the EU Council presidency on January 1. It will last until June 30.
Peace talks
Ukraine continues peace negotiations with European partners and the US. In particular, on January 6, a Coalition of the Willing leaders’ meeting was held in Paris, after which Kyiv, Paris, and London signed a declaration of intent regarding the deployment of a Western contingent on Ukrainian territory.
Additionally, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump have agreed on 90% of the US peace plan. The document is expected to be submitted for a referendum.
At the same time, Russia has shown no readiness for peace. Recently, the Russian forces struck a hospital in Kyiv, killing one person.
