Zelenskiy pushes for peace with Russia on stronger terms

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated on Tuesday that the war with Russia would ultimately be resolved through dialogue, but Kyiv needed to be in a strong position. He mentioned that he would present a plan to US President Joe Biden and his potential successors.

During a press conference, Zelenskiy said that Kyiv’s recent incursion into Russia's Kursk region was part of this plan, which also included economic and diplomatic measures.

Zelenskiy emphasised that the main objective was to compel Russia to end the conflict, ensuring a just outcome for Ukraine. He refrained from providing further details on upcoming steps but indicated that he would discuss the plan with US Vice President Kamala Harris and potentially with Donald Trump, the Republican candidate for the next US presidential election.

Zelenskiy expressed hopes to visit the US in September for the UN General Assembly in New York, where he expected to meet Biden. His comments suggested that he views a follow-up international summit on peace as a key venue for talks, with Ukraine pushing for Russian involvement. The initial summit, held in Switzerland in June, had excluded Russia but drew numerous delegations, though not from China.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking on 19 August, dismissed talks following Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk region earlier that month. Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who visited Kyiv recently, spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin, advocating for a swift and peaceful resolution to the conflict.

Zelenskiy was firm that Russia sought to impose conditions on Ukraine, which Kyiv deems unacceptable. Putin has insisted any settlement must recognise the current territorial realities, leaving Russia in control of parts of four Ukrainian regions and Crimea. Ukraine claims to control over 1,200 square kilometres of the Kursk region.

Zelenskiy stressed there could be no compromises with Putin, declaring that dialogue is currently meaningless as the Russian leader is not pursuing a diplomatic end to the war. The Ukrainian offensive in Kursk, he said, had lessened international calls for Ukraine to make concessions.

On the battlefield, Zelenskiy criticised Putin for focusing on capturing Ukrainian territory instead of defending Russian land. He highlighted Ukraine’s progress in Kursk, where it claims to have taken 100 settlements, while Russian forces continue incremental advances in Donetsk.

Zelenskiy also noted that Ukraine was advancing in its domestic weapons production, including the successful test of a domestically produced ballistic missile.