Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday, Aug. 27, he has a plan to end his country’s war with Russia and the recent incursion into Russian territory is part of that plan. During a forum, Zelenskyy said the “main point of” the infiltration into Kursk was to force Russia’s hand to end the war in Ukraine.
It is the first time that Zelenskyy has spoken in such direct terms about ending the yearslong conflict. He spoke Tuesday, acknowledging the ultimate goal of the recent offensive in Kursk was to pressure Moscow. Zelenskyy did not elaborate much on his plan, only mentioning that it would involve both economics and diplomacy.
The Ukrainian president also said that he wants to discuss his goals with both presidential nominees, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. Zelenskyy said he plans to attend the United Nation’s General Assembly in New York City and is preparing to meet with President Joe Biden as well. He wants Russia to send representatives despite Moscow being barred from the last international summit in Switzerland in June.
Recently, the Russian Foreign Minister asserted that talks with Ukraine are out of the question following Kyiv’s Kursk incursion. Additionally, Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded recently a deal between the two countries must start with Ukraine accepting “the realities on the ground.” Putin wants Russia to take large chunks of eastern Ukraine and retain Crimea in exchange for an end to the war.
Zelenskyy called Putin’s current position “empty” and “meaningless,” alleging the Kremlin leader doesn’t want to end the war “diplomatically.”
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian president said he wants to negotiate from a position of strength and claimed progress is being made on weapons production, including Kyiv’s first test of a domestically produced ballistic missile.
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