Zelensky: U.S. Probes Winter De-Escalation With Russia — SkimNews
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- Zelensky told Axios the U.S. is exploring whether Russia and Ukraine could take de-escalation steps during winter while restarting talks toward a broader peace agreement, calling it 'very close to the reality of these conversations.'
- U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Putin at the Kremlin for three hours Saturday, then traveled to Kyiv Sunday for talks with Zelensky — their first visit to Ukraine since Trump began his second term.
- Zelensky said the envoys conveyed that 'the Russians are ready to negotiate,' though he remains skeptical because Russia's battlefield escalation contradicts a willingness to compromise.
- Zelensky said discussions covered potential de-escalation around energy facilities, grain shipments, electricity infrastructure, and oil and gas exports, with Russia and Ukraine holding 'different interests' in each.
- Zelensky argued Putin is counting on winter attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure to force Kyiv into concessions, but Putin 'doesn't want to upset' Trump ahead of midterm elections.
- Zelensky said the U.S. backs a separate 'winter package' for Ukraine including air defense, LNG, and de-escalation measures, and proposed the UN General Assembly later this month as a venue for further U.S.-Ukraine talks.
Why it matters: Ukraine's window is narrow: Zelensky wants September and October to restart diplomacy before Russian winter strikes on energy infrastructure resume, and the U.S. is tying that timeline to Trump's midterm calculus — Putin, Zelensky believes, will avoid antagonizing Trump before voters head to the polls. Ukraine's price for talks includes air defense, LNG, security guarantees, and additional U.S. sanctions on Russia as leverage.
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