“We saw during the first [peace] summit that there could be a decision on energy security. In other words: we do not attack their energy infrastructures; they don’t attack ours. Could this lead to the end of the war’s hot phase? I think so,” he said.
Ukraine has been bracing for a painful winter after a series of Russian missile strikes on thermal power plants destroyed almost half of its energy generation, FT reported. The country is now largely dependent on its nuclear power plants and the import of energy from European countries. Russia is also striking Ukraine’s ports.
The Russian military has reported on several occasions that it struck ports in Ukraine to thwart shipments of Western weapons and munitions by sea, as per an RT report.
Russia’s readiness to negotiate “depends firstly on the US elections”, said Zelenskyy, adding that he expected a “more positive reaction” from the US vote. “Not because there will be a new president, but because right now the focus of the US is on the elections and I think it probably makes any harsh statement challenging; they don’t want the added risk.”
Zelenskyy denied any discussions with western countries over a land-for-peace deal that would see Ukraine brought into the Nato fold in exchange for giving up territories at present held by Russia. “Apparently, some partners may think about it. But they do not communicate this directly through me, but rather through the media. In all discussions we now raise the issue of security guarantees, and the strongest of all is Nato,” he said.Zelenskyy’s comments about a mutually agreed scaling down of the war come after he has been discussing his “victory plan” with other leaders. Major points of the plan include an invitation for Ukraine to join NATO and permission to use Western-supplied longer-range missiles to strike military targets deep inside Russia, steps that have been met with reluctance by Kyiv’s allies so far.He has said his plan aims “to strengthen Ukraine” and pave the way for a diplomatic solution to end the conflict on Europe’s eastern flank. “This plan doesn’t depend on Russian will, only on the will of our partners,” he said before addressing leaders at an EU summit.
Last month, he expressed optimism regarding the potential end of the ongoing war with Russia. “I think that we are closer to peace than we realize. We are closer to the end of the war,” he told ABC News. Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of continued support from the US and other allies, noting that the full-scale invasion, which began in February 2022, has resulted in significant loss of life, displacement of millions, and widespread destruction across Ukrainian cities and towns. He argued that Ukraine must adopt a “strong position” to compel Russian President Vladimir Putin to halt hostilities.
The Washington Post reported in August that Russia and Ukraine were supposed to hold indirect negotiations in Qatar to suspend infrastructure attacks. After Ukraine invaded the Kursk region that month, Russia refused to talk, sources told WaPo.
The Kursk offensive
Ukraine surprised Moscow on August 6 by crossing the border into the Kursk region, marking the first invasion of Russian sovereign territory since World War Two. Russia has been attempting to expel the Ukrainian forces for over two months.
The outcome of the Kursk fighting could significantly influence the course of the war that began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. If Ukraine can maintain control over a portion of Russian territory, it will have a valuable bargaining chip in future peace negotiations. However, the decision to commit a substantial force to the Kursk offensive has come at a cost elsewhere on the battlefield, as Russia made its fastest advances in eastern Ukraine in two years during August and September.
Putin willing to talk but…
Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week that Moscow is prepared to enter talks. He welcomed peace proposals previously tabled by China and Brazil, saying they could “serve as a good basis for a search for peace.” Those proposals have failed to convince Kyiv.
Speaking during a meeting with media leaders from the BRICS bloc of developing economies, Putin ruled out any concessions regarding the status of the four Ukrainian regions that Moscow illegally annexed in September 2022, saying that “those are our territories.” That would be unacceptable for Ukraine.
Ukraine’s population has declined by 10 million
Ukraine’s population has declined by 10 million, or around a quarter, since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion as a result of refugees leaving, collapsing fertility and war deaths, the United Nations said on Tuesday.
The largest chunk of Ukraine’s population decline was accounted for by the 6.7 million refugees now living abroad, primarily in Europe. War deaths were also a factor. “It’s difficult to have exact numbers, but estimates range around tens of thousands of casualties,” the UN official said.
Much-larger Russia, with a pre-war population of over 140 million, has also seen its already dire demographic situation deteriorate since it invaded Ukraine: it recorded its lowest birth rate since 1999 in the first six months of this year, a level even the Kremlin described as “catastrophic”.
(With inputs from agencies)