Zelensky open to ceasefire talks as Ukraine war strain grows

In a series of interviews and public statements over the past week, Zelensky has sought to demonstrate that he is prepared to negotiate an end to the conflict—something President-elect Donald Trump repeatedly demanded during the election campaign. For most of the war, Zelensky maintained that his country would fight until it regained about 20 percent of the territory currently under Moscow's control.

Now Zelensky suggests he might accept a ceasefire that would effectively leave the occupied territories in Moscow's hands if the rest of Ukraine were covered by North Atlantic Treaty protection. However, there are two significant obstacles to this concept: Ukraine's chances of quickly joining the military alliance are slim, and there are no indications that Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to negotiate.

In recent months, Russian troops have made faster advances in eastern Ukraine than at any other point since the start of the war. Moscow has also shifted its economy onto a war footing and recently approved the largest defense budget in Russian history, giving Putin confidence that he can continue seizing Ukrainian territory by force.

During a press conference on Sunday, Zelensky said that Ukraine would be willing to enter such negotiations only from a position of strength, which would require further steps towards NATO and new deliveries of long-range Western weapons.

- If we have a frozen conflict without a strong position for Ukraine, Putin will return in two, three, or five years - said Zelensky. - He will return and destroy us completely. Or attempt to destroy us - he warned.

However, the Ukrainian leader's openness to territorial concessions, even temporary ones, is a significant concession - notes "WSJ".

In an interview with Sky News on Friday, Zelensky said that NATO membership would have to be offered to the non-occupied parts of Ukraine for Kyiv to consider ending what he called the "hot phase of the war." Although Ukraine would still claim rights to all its territory, Zelensky suggested that Kyiv would seek to regain it "diplomatically."

The same stance was presented in an interview with Kyodo News, a Japanese media outlet, published on Monday.

- Our army does not have the strength to accomplish that - Zelensky said about expelling Russians from occupied territories. - We must find diplomatic solutions - he admitted.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, in a Monday interview, refused to discuss the prospects of Ukraine's membership.

- The main issue concerning Ukraine is how to provide more military assistance. That is the priority number one, two, and three - said Rutte. He added that a "bridge" to NATO membership is being built through bilateral security agreements with member countries and other initiatives.

Zelensky's change in rhetoric reflects the growing fatigue among Ukrainians, who express a desire to end the conflict. Russian attacks have left much of the country without stable access to electricity this winter, and manpower shortages mean that more men who do not want to fight are being forcibly conscripted into the army - notes "The Wall Street Journal".

According to a Gallup poll published last month, 52 percent of Ukrainians in non-occupied parts of the country support negotiating to end the war "as soon as possible," compared to 27 percent a year ago. Meanwhile, 38 percent support continuing the fight until Ukraine's victory, compared to 63 percent a year earlier.

Russian officials claim that Ukraine would need to abandon hopes of joining NATO as part of any peace agreement.

Many Western officials fear that a move towards NATO could exacerbate the West's confrontation with Moscow. However, Zelensky continues to push for an invitation to the alliance, though he acknowledges that accession could only happen after the war ends.