Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized the importance of finding a diplomatic path for negotiations with the Russian Federation before the beginning of winter 2026. In his opinion, the possibility of such negotiations directly depends on the strengthening of internal pressure on the Kremlin, as well as on the sanctions imposed by the USA and Europe against Russia.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Russia’s Loss of Initiative on the Battlefield
Zelensky stressed that since December 2025, Russia has begun to lose initiative on the front. According to the president, in January 2026, he informed American partners that the time was favorable for negotiations, as the Russian army suffers increasing losses every month. The president noted that despite massive missile attacks, Russia is losing positions and cannot occupy more territory than the Armed Forces of Ukraine are liberating in the same period.
“Starting from December 2025, Russia began to lose initiative on the battlefield. In January 2026, I told our American partners: ‘I believe there is a window for negotiations, because every month Russia will lose more and more of its troops’… Now they have started attacking us with massive missile strikes, and again, the main reason is that they are beginning to lose on the battlefield,” he stated in an interview with CBS News.
Conditions for Ending the Hot Phase of the War
In addition, Zelensky emphasized that a diplomatic path is only possible under the condition of increased sanctions pressure on Russia and growing discontent within its society. He stressed that the introduction of new sanctions must continue, rather than decrease.
Last week, after a meeting between the president and the parliamentary faction “Servant of the People,” MP Olga Vasylevska-Smahliuk reported that Zelensky discussed the prospects of ending the active phase of the war by November 2026 – provided that security guarantees for Ukraine are obtained.
Also, on May 21, the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported that Ukrainian forces are regaining tactical initiative in several areas of the front. Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov previously noted that Ukrainian military personnel have managed to significantly slow down the advance of the Russian army thanks to the effective work of defenders, the disconnection of Starlink for the enemy, and an increase in the number of medium-range drone strikes.