Zelenskyy Seemingly Changes His Tune, Opens Door to Peace Talks with Russia

By: Wallace White, Daily Caller News Foundation

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has suggested a growing interest in peace talks with Russia in recent interviews and press conferences, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Zelenskyy has floated a deal that would give Ukraine membership in NATO in exchange for ceding Russian-occupied territory, according to the WSJ. Russian forces have rapidly increased their foothold in Ukrainian territory in recent months as Ukraine struggles with manpower, making gains not seen since the early days of the war in 2022.

“If we’ll have [a] frozen conflict without any strong position for Ukraine, so Putin will come in two, three or five years,” Zelenskyy said at a Sunday press conference according to the WSJ. “He will come back and destroy us totally. Or try to destroy us.”

The war has raged on for more than two years, with estimated casualties climbing to nearly a million total as of October, according to The New York Times. Both sides have recently been scrambling for ground as President-elect Donald Trump is set to take office in January, promising a quick end to the conflict.

Around 60,000 to 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died since the war began, with 400,000 too injured to continue fighting, according to estimates by The Economist on Nov. 26. However, it is unclear what the exact figures may be, as they vary.

Russia currently occupies vast swaths of Eastern Ukraine, including the disputed Donetsk and Donbas regions as well as Crimea, which they have held since 2014 according to the WSJ. Moreover, over half of Ukrainians want a negotiated peace deal as soon as possible, according to a Gallup poll published Nov. 19.

President Joe Biden gave Ukraine permission to use U.S.-made long-range missiles against Russia on Nov. 17, with Russian President Vladimir Putin responding by hitting Ukraine’s energy grid with explosive drones as winter sets in. The escalation was seen as highly risky and an attempt to box in Trump, according to defense experts.

Trump warned Putin on Nov. 7 to not escalate the conflict, reportedly reminding him of the sizable U.S. military presence in Europe, according to The Washington Post.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.