War’s end in sight? Zelensky plans 2025 diplomatic resolution

In a November 16th interview with Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne, President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his commitment to resolving the conflict in Ukraine via diplomatic channels. He emphasized his intention to exhaust all possible diplomatic avenues to bring an end to the war.

Throughout Zelensky’s interview, he touched on a number of topics about the conflict in Ukraine but the most compelling portion of his discussion came when he said he did not think Vladimir Putin wanted peace. 

According to The Kyiv Post’s analysis of the conversation, Zelensky said he thinks Putin doesn’t want peace but rather wants to use peace negotiations as a way to reintegrate himself and Russia with Western countries. 

"I don't think Putin wants peace at all. But this does not mean that he does not want to sit down with one of the leaders" to negotiate, Zelensky said.

"For him it destroys the political isolation that has been built since the beginning of the war. And it benefits him to sit down, talk, and not reach an agreement,” Zelensky added. 

Russia has been left completely isolated save for a few allies as a result of the invasion of Ukraine. Heavy sanctions have hurt the Russian economy and things might only get worse as when Donald Trump returns to power in January. 

Zelensky revealed during his interview with Suspilne that serious negotiations over peace from the Ukrainian side could only happen with the President of the United States, and Trump will not be inaugurated until mid-January. 

For Zelensky, one of the necessary conditions of any future peace talks is that Ukraine is not left alone to negotiate peace with Russia since it viewed just speaking with Putin as a "losing position”. However, he also added he didn’t think the U.S. could be a neutral mediator. 

"America must maintain the position that Russia is an aggressor, that it has violated our territorial integrity and international law,” Zelensky said. 

However, the Ukrainian President does believe that Trump and his incoming administration will bring the war to an end sooner because of the policy promises that he and his team have made. 

“This is their approach, their promise to their society, and it is also very important to them,” Zelensky explained, adding: “We must do everything to ensure that the war ends next year through diplomatic means,” according to CNN. 

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