Lauge Risom Koch 
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy firmly rejected the possibility of a mutually beneficial peace agreement, asserting that Russia ultimately seeks total control over Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has firmly dismissed the possibility of a mutually beneficial resolution to the ongoing conflict with Russia. According to RBC-Ukraine, the president stated during a recent interview that “there is no win-win in this war” due to the staggering scale of human losses. He emphasized that the situation ceased to be mutually beneficial on the very first day of the full-scale invasion.
The Ukrainian leader warned international partners against underestimating the true scope of Russian territorial ambitions. As reported by RBC-Ukraine, Zelenskyy rejected the notion that Moscow would be satisfied with annexing only small portions of land. He stressed that the opposing leadership fundamentally seeks total control, stating that the Russian president ultimately “needs Ukraine to be a part of Russia.”
Instead of focusing on geopolitical victories, the president emphasized that the ultimate priority for the global community must be achieving lasting peace. According to RBC-Ukraine, he argued that halting the fighting represents the most important triumph for the entire world. Zelenskyy concluded this point by explicitly defining the cessation of hostilities as a crucial “victory for human lives.”
Ongoing diplomacy and calls for stronger sanctions
Kyiv and Washington continue to engage in constant diplomatic dialogue regarding military support and future negotiations. According to RBC-Ukraine, the American government requested that the specific details of these discussions remain confidential while new ideas are being formulated. American officials are currently taking various strategic measures to provide continued logistical and diplomatic support to the Ukrainian government.
These confidential discussions are paving the way for crucial high-level diplomatic engagements in the near future. As noted by RBC-Ukraine, preparations are actively underway for a scheduled face-to-face meeting between Zelenskyy and Donald Trump. This prominent diplomatic summit is currently scheduled to take place in New York at the end of September.
While acknowledging ongoing American support, the Ukrainian president urged the United States to implement much stricter economic penalties against Moscow. According to RBC-Ukraine, Zelenskyy argued that international allies must act more decisively to destroy Russia’s economic ability to wage war. He explicitly called for stronger sanctions that would completely cripple the financial mechanisms sustaining the Russian invasion forces.
Potential avenues for future negotiations
American negotiators have reportedly drafted the foundational elements of a potential agreement to end the fighting. According to RBC-Ukraine, Jared Kushner identified Ukraine’s refusal to concede to Russian territorial demands regarding the Donbas region as the primary diplomatic obstacle. The current impasse highlights the severe difficulty of reconciling opposing territorial claims during these preliminary peace talks.
Despite this deadlock, some officials suggest that formal diplomatic engagement could resume in the coming weeks. As reported by RBC-Ukraine, Ukrainian negotiator Davyd Arakhamia suggested that Moscow might return to the diplomatic process by early October. This anticipated timeline directly follows the Russian State Duma parliamentary elections scheduled to take place throughout September.
Backchannel diplomatic efforts are simultaneously exploring more limited agreements to stabilize specific civilian sectors during the colder months. As highlighted by RBC-Ukraine, ongoing work by negotiators Witkoff and Kushner could potentially result in a localized energy truce this winter. These targeted negotiations aim to prevent a repetition of previous seasonal campaigns where civilian infrastructure was heavily bombarded.
