Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated that the war with Russia would ultimately be resolved through dialogue, but emphasized the need for Ukraine to be in a strong position to negotiate, Reuters reports.
He plans to present a comprehensive strategy to US President Joe Biden and potentially Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican candidate Donald Trump. This plan includes ongoing military operations, like Ukraine’s recent incursion into Russia’s Kursk region, as well as economic and diplomatic efforts aimed at pressuring Russia into ending the war on terms favorable to Ukraine.
Zelensky hopes to visit the US in September to attend the UN General Assembly and discuss his strategy with US leaders. He highlighted the need for a follow-up international peace summit to also include Russian representatives, despite the initial exclusion of Russia from a June summit in Switzerland.
Zelensky rejected any compromise with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who demands that Ukraine acknowledge Russian control over occupied territories and criticized Putin’s focus on territorial gains over defending Russia’s own land. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has dismissed the possibility of talks following Ukraine’s recent incursion.
