Anna Hartz
Peace talks over Ukraine have entered another uncertain phase as Washington tries once again to bring Russia and Ukraine closer to a ceasefire.
The latest meetings have raised questions about what Moscow wants from the process and how far it may be willing to go.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian President Vladimir Putin may want to avoid upsetting US President Donald Trump, according to the Kyiv Independent. He also suggested that Putin could be willing to give Trump a diplomatic success before the US midterm elections.
A three-hour meeting with Putin
“My feeling is that Putin needs Trump,” Zelensky told Axios in an interview published on Sept. 7. Asked if Putin might want to help Trump achieve a diplomatic win before the elections, Zelensky replied, “Yeah.”
The comments came after a new round of US-led peace efforts involving Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The two men met Putin in Moscow for more than three hours on Sept. 5. They then traveled to Kyiv and met Zelensky the following day.
The meetings did not produce a major breakthrough. However, the US envoys said they hoped to move toward three-way talks involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States.
Trump has been less involved in Ukraine diplomacy in recent months. His administration has now renewed efforts to find a path toward a ceasefire.
Upcoming winter tensions
Trump also spoke with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham on Sept. 7 about the need to keep working toward an end to the war.
Zelensky remains doubtful that Russia is ready to make serious concessions. He said Putin may be counting on another difficult winter to put more pressure on Ukraine.
The Ukrainian president believes the period before winter could still create an opportunity for diplomacy. At the same time, he warned that Russia could choose to increase military pressure instead.
The US is looking at several possible steps to reduce tensions during the winter. These include issues involving energy facilities, electricity supplies, grain shipments and oil and gas exports.
Last winter, Russian attacks caused severe damage to Ukraine’s energy system. Around 9 gigawatts of power generation were knocked out across the country. In Kyiv, some residents spent weeks without reliable heat or electricity as temperatures dropped to around -25 degrees Celsius.
