Putin ‘does not want to upset’ Trump and is ‘ready to discuss’ peace ideas, Zelensky says
U.S. presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner discussed potential de-escalation steps with Moscow and Kyiv ahead of and during the winter, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Axios.
Zelensky said one of Witkoff and Kushner’s goals was to revive stalled peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. Another was to try to make the coming winter different from previous ones, when Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure intensified the conflict.
Zelensky said he is convinced that, as in previous years, Russia plans to launch major attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure this fall and winter. He also said, however, that Russian President Vladimir Putin “doesn’t want … to upset him,” referring to U.S. President Donald Trump, and is “ready to discuss” ideas for moving negotiations forward.
Witkoff and Kushner visited Moscow on September 5 and Kyiv on September 6. It was their first visit to the Ukrainian capital since the war began. No major breakthroughs were announced after the talks. After meeting with Witkoff and Kushner, Zelensky said the war is unlikely to end this year.
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