Kyiv Sees No Breakthrough in Peace Talks Despite New Diplomatic Efforts

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said his government will make every effort to end the war with Russia before the start of winter, while officials in Kyiv continue to acknowledge that negotiations remain deadlocked and a comprehensive peace agreement is still out of reach.

Photo: armyinform.com.ua by Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Soledar, September 25, 2022

Zelensky Sets Autumn Goal for Ending the War

Speaking at a meeting with Ukrainian ambassadors, Zelensky said Kyiv would strive to bring the conflict to an end during the autumn.

"We will do everything we can to make this happen before winter, in the autumn," the Ukrainian president said.

Zelensky added that Ukraine intends to pursue that objective by maintaining international pressure on Russia while continuing military strikes against targets inside Russian territory.

Negotiations Remain Stalled Despite New Diplomatic Initiatives

According to RBC-Ukraine, Ukrainian officials and foreign diplomats believe there is little chance of reaching a negotiated settlement during 2026. Sources cited by the publication said proposals discussed so far remain unacceptable to either Moscow or Kyiv, leaving both sides without a mutually acceptable path toward ending the conflict.

One Ukrainian negotiator said the parties are searching for new approaches because previous ideas have failed to produce results. Officials are reportedly looking to upcoming visits by U. S. presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who are expected to travel to Kyiv before potentially continuing on to Moscow.

Separately, Ukrainian analyst Andriy Dligach suggested that, if the current pace of missile and drone strikes continues, active combat could pause around March or April 2027.

The Kremlin continues to maintain that it is open to negotiations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov recently said a freeze in the conflict is impossible under Kyiv's current position and reiterated Moscow's longstanding conditions for ending hostilities. Russian officials have repeatedly stated that the agreements discussed during earlier negotiations in Istanbul could serve as the basis for future dialogue.