Kirilo Budanov, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff, said on Monday that, in his opinion, reaching an agreement to end the war with Russia by winter would be a “realistic” scenario, Reuters reports.
In an interview broadcast on Sunday, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he wants to press ahead with peace talks with Russia, which have stalled in recent months, before winter arrives to take advantage of Kiev's improved strategic position.
Talks mediated by the United States to reach a peace agreement have stalled, as Washington has focused its attention on the conflict in Iran.
Budanov said he expects a US delegation to visit both Moscow and Kiev in the near future, without giving further details.
“This is the president's instruction: let's try to end this war as soon as possible … preferably before winter arrives,” Kirilo Budanov told reporters during a press conference. “In my view, this is absolutely fair, timely and realistic.”
Zelensky and other Ukrainian officials said the advance of Russian forces had slowed on the ground, while Ukraine stepped up its campaign of long-range strikes on Russian territory, mainly targeting the oil industry.
A senior Ukrainian commander said last week that Ukraine has a six-month window to take the initiative on the battlefield and strengthen its position in peace negotiations.
