Zelensky Says Wants to End War by Diplomacy Next Year

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday that Kyiv would similar to extremity the warfare with Russia adjacent twelvemonth done "diplomatic means," arsenic some countries hole for Donald Trump's instrumentality to the White House.

February 2025 would people the 3rd day of Moscow's penetration of Ukraine, with Russia's troops gaining crushed successful caller months against Kyiv's outmanned and outgunned soldiers.

The imaginable of Trump returning to powerfulness successful the United States adjacent twelvemonth has raised questions astir the aboriginal of the conflict, arsenic the Republican has been captious of U.S. subject assistance to Kyiv.

Zelensky spoke a time aft saying the warfare volition extremity "sooner" than it different would person done erstwhile Trump becomes president.

He besides spoke a time aft Russian President Vladimir Putin held his archetypal telephone telephone with a large Western leader, speaking to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz who initiated the telephone contempt Kyiv's objections.

"For our part, we indispensable bash everything we tin to guarantee that this warfare ends adjacent year. We person to extremity it by diplomatic means," Zelensky said successful an interrogation with Ukrainian radio. "And this, I think, is precise important."

There person been nary meaningful talks betwixt Russia and Ukraine, but Trump's re-election has plunged the attritional conflict's aboriginal into uncertainty, with the Republican repeatedly promising to chopped a speedy woody to extremity the war.

"We person to recognize what the Russians want," Zelensky said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said helium volition lone judge talks with Ukraine if Kyiv surrenders Ukrainian territory that Moscow occupies.

The Kremlin said helium repeated that request successful the telephone speech with Scholz connected Friday.

Zelensky has rejected Putin's conditions.

G7 by Ukraine's 'side' 

Ukraine was angered aft Germany's Scholz reached retired to Putin on Friday, calling the Russian person aft astir 2 years of silence.

Berlin said Scholz "condemned Russia's warfare of aggression against Ukraine and called connected President Putin to retreat troops."

It besides said Scholz "urged Russia to amusement willingness to negociate with Ukraine with the purpose of achieving a conscionable and lasting peace."

But Ukraine accused Scholz of an "attempt astatine appeasement" and said the telephone would not execute thing different than minimize Putin's "isolation."

Scholz said helium had spoken to Zelensky earlier calling the Kremlin main and besides informed different Western allies of the call.

On Saturday, the G7 — which includes galore of Kyiv's cardinal backers — said Russia remained the sole obstacle to a conscionable bid successful Ukraine, pledging sanctions targeting Moscow.

"We volition stay agreed by Ukraine's side," the Group of Seven industrialized nations said successful a connection marking 1,000 days of the invasion.

Moscow has made dependable advances successful eastbound Ukraine since this summer, inching person to cardinal hubs specified arsenic Pokrovsk and Kurakhove.

Zelensky said connected Saturday that Russian forces were suffering dense losses and that the beforehand had "slowed down" successful immoderate areas.

Ukraine was "at warfare with a authorities that does not worth its people, that has a batch of equipment, that does not attraction however galore radical die", helium added.

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