Zelenskyy outlines 'quickest way' to peace with Russia
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy (photo: facebook.com zelenskyy.official)
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he is ready to freeze the front line with Russia in its current position. In his view, this would be the quickest way to peace, followed by a transition of the war into a diplomatic process.
The Ukrainian leader stated this in his interview with Sky News. World news presenter Yalda Hakim asked him about the conditions for a ceasefire with Russia.
"If a ceasefire was agreed tomorrow, where would you want the lines to be frozen? Where they are at this moment? Would you agree to that?" she asked.
"Yes," the Ukrainian president replied. "It's the quickest way," he added.
What comes after freezing
Zelenskyy explained that this would not simply be a pause in the war, but a specific framework for a peace process.
"We want to stop the war in a way where the war will not come back. It's not the idea just to freeze, but the quickest way is to freeze and to move it to a diplomatic setting," he said.
Concession to Russia?
When asked whether this would mean giving Russia what it wants, Zelenskyy rejected the idea.
"No, it's not just to give. To stay where we are means to give the people of Ukraine more possibilities to save their children, and for soldiers to come back. I think this is important for us," the president stressed.
Notably, since the beginning of 2026, Ukraine, Russia, and the United States have held several rounds of talks. In these discussions, Kyiv has already proposed freezing positions along the front line, while Moscow has insisted on the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from parts of the Donbas not under Ukrainian control.
The United States has suggested creating a free economic zone in these territories.
On June 4, Zelenskyy published an open letter to Putin proposing direct negotiations. Putin rejected the offer of a personal meeting during the St. Petersburg Economic Forum.
