Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky believes that Ukraine has the chance to end the war with Russia before the partial elections in the US later this year. Kirilo Budanov, the head of the presidential office in Kiev, assured that Ukraine will not agree to cede territories.
„Now I believe we have a chance… it depends on these months, if we will have a chance to end the war before autumn,” the president said. „Before the elections, there are important, influential elections in the United States. If it will be possible to achieve peace… we have this window now,” he added.
The statements by the Ukrainian president come against the backdrop of ongoing US-mediated efforts to negotiate peace between Kiev and Moscow, which have not yet made progress regarding the ceasefire and territorial issues.
Zelensky previously signaled that Washington will likely pressure both Ukraine and Russia to reach an agreement by summer, correlating this with the internal political dynamics in the US.
Why the US Partial Elections Matter
President Donald Trump's Republican Party faces the risk of Democrats regaining control of Congress in November, a change that could significantly weaken the White House agenda.
Trump would be interested in presenting a peace agreement in Ukraine to the electorate, and Kiev could speculate on this situation in the coming months. According to Zelensky, the United States has the power to end the war, but only by exerting stronger pressure on Vladimir Putin through sanctions and providing advanced weapons to Ukraine.
The most recent engagement between Ukraine and the US in peace efforts included a conversation between Zelensky and Trump on February 25 and a meeting of senior officials in Geneva the following day. During the discussions in Switzerland, the two parties focused on the post-war recovery of Ukraine and the next round of trilateral talks with Russia. Zelensky announced that the new round of negotiations will take place in the United Arab Emirates.
No "Korean Scenario" for Ukraine
Meanwhile, the head of the Ukrainian presidential office stated that the territorial issue remained central during the recent trilateral discussions in Geneva.
"Territories are the main issue. Everything else is secondary," Budanov said in an interview with the Arab publication Al-Modon, expressing confidence that all occupied territories will eventually be liberated.
According to him, the Kremlin's ultimate goal is not limited to individual regions but encompasses the entire Ukraine: "It is naive to believe that Moscow, having taken some territories without a fight, will abandon its expansionist ambitions. Therefore, the only real deterrent is the Ukrainian army."
Budanov rejected the possibility of a "Korean scenario" for restoring peace, stating that Ukrainian society would never accept such an outcome. "I am confident that the Ukrainian people will reject any proposals regarding our territory. All occupied territories are only temporary and will inevitably be liberated over time," he emphasized.
He also mentioned that Russia has not succeeded in fully occupying any Ukrainian region during 12 years of war and expressed confidence that this will not change.
According to Budanov, Russia will eventually be forced to accept security guarantees supported by the US for Ukraine during the negotiations, "whether they like it or not."
Regarding the possibility of ending the war by summer, the Ukrainian official described the negotiation process as "complex and multilateral," making it impossible to set specific deadlines. "Of course, we are doing everything possible to accelerate it," he added.
The Only Solution for Lasting Peace
Russia's war against Ukraine is rooted in centuries-old imperial ambitions that have not changed despite regime changes, stated Kirilo Budanov, the head of the Ukrainian presidential office.
In an interview with the Arab publication Al-Modon, he argued that sustainable security for Ukraine and Europe will only be possible when Russia ceases to exist as an empire, firmly rejecting any territorial concessions to Moscow, as reported by Kyiv Post.
Budanov noted that the war has actually lasted for 12 years - since 2014 - longer than both World War I and World War II combined. During this time, he said, Russia has weakened economically, politically, and demographically, but its imperial ambitions have remained intact.
"Regime changes in Russia have not altered the essence" of the country, he said, adding that neither the tsarist, nor the Soviet, nor the current system prioritized improving the lives of citizens. "The current Russian president's policy is not much different from the policies of the tsarist or Soviet era," he explained.
According to Budanov, Russia will not transform solely through internal processes. "We should create conditions in which Russia, as an empire, disappears," said the head of the Ukrainian presidential office, suggesting that several regional nation-states could eventually emerge in place of Russia.
"Only then will Ukraine, Europe, and the whole world feel safer," Budanov emphasized.