Kyiv: Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Friday that he is formulating a “comprehensive plan” for how Kyiv envisions the conclusion of the ongoing war with Russia.
Currently, there are no public negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. Based on recent statements from both Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the two nations remain significantly divided on the terms of any potential peace agreement.
Earlier this month, Zelensky hosted a significant international summit in Switzerland—excluding Russia—to garner global support for Ukraine’s stance.
“It is very important for us to show a plan to end the war that will be supported by the majority of the world,” Zelensky stated on Friday. “This is the diplomatic route we are working on,” he emphasized during a press conference in Kyiv with Slovenian President Natasa Pirc Musar.
Over 90 countries sent leaders and senior officials to the two-day summit in Switzerland. The vast majority endorsed a final communique emphasizing the necessity of respecting Ukraine’s “territorial integrity” in any peace settlement. However, notable exceptions included India, which did not agree, and China, a Russian ally, which boycotted the summit in protest of Russia’s exclusion.
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Ukraine has consistently maintained that Russia must withdraw its troops from Ukraine’s internationally recognized territory, including Crimea, annexed by Moscow in 2014, before any peace talks can commence. Conversely, Putin, who initiated the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, demands that Ukraine cede more territory in the east and south.
In Brussels on Thursday, Zelensky indicated that he would present a “detailed plan” within a few months. “We don’t have too much time,” he said, highlighting the high casualty rate among soldiers and civilians.
Meanwhile, Russian forces are making incremental advances on the battlefield, claiming to have captured another small frontline village on Friday. They currently occupy about one-fifth of Ukraine and in 2022, declared the annexation of four additional regions, none of which they fully control.
Ukraine’s resistance relies heavily on Western financial and military support. Despite this, Ukrainian troops remain outgunned, outnumbered, and fatigued after more than two years of relentless fighting.
