Ukraine signals openness to air ceasefire, but doubts Kremlin’s intentions

Kyiv is ready to discuss a ceasefire, including an air ceasefire, as a first step toward starting the negotiation process.

This was stated in an interview with Corriere della Sera by Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office.

Podolyak stressed that without a direct trilateral meeting between US President Donald Trump, President Zelenskyy, and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, not only would the war not end, but there would be no beginning to meaningful talks. His remarks come ahead of a planned meeting between Trump and Putin in Alaska to discuss Ukraine’s future — without Kyiv’s participation.

According to Podolyak, Putin is “not ready for realistic negotiations.” He argued that the Kremlin’s main objective at this stage is “to buy time and mislead the American administration,” portraying itself as a peace mediator in a conflict it initiated. “He does not want peace, because in reality, the war is today the only instrument that confirms Russia’s global standing. Without the conflict, Moscow loses its weight in the world. This is why Putin is not in the right mood for talks in Zelenskyy’s presence,” Podolyak said.

Addressing the possibility of Kyiv being asked to withdraw from Donetsk, he insisted: “Only a direct meeting between all three can focus on Donetsk and achieve concrete results. How can one think of resolving Ukrainian issues without the presence of Ukraine and without Zelenskyy? And it is not only the Ukrainian president who is insisting on this point — many leaders of European countries, including Italy, share the same view. Only the joint pressure of Americans, Europeans, and Ukrainians will allow us to bring the war to an end.”

Podolyak underscored that without coercive measures such as economic sanctions — coupled with a military defeat for Russia — there will be no resolution. “The two go hand in hand,” he said.

He confirmed that one of the scenarios proposed by the US administration was a global ceasefire, which would also cover the aerial dimension, including missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian territory. “But none of these scenarios has been accepted by Russia,” he said, noting that air bombardments remain a key psychological weapon for Moscow, alongside continuous assaults along the front line, which are being repelled by Ukrainian forces.

“It is unlikely that Russia will deprive itself of the use of strategic aviation and the massive deployment of drones,” Podolyak acknowledged. “However, Ukraine is ready to discuss this, is ready to consider this scenario, and sees it as an initial step toward achieving realistic negotiating positions. Any ceasefire — in particular a global ceasefire — is a starting point from which to launch negotiations appropriately.”

Asked about the possibility of freezing the front line, Podolyak warned that Russia still seeks to control all of Ukraine, install a pro-Russian government, and undermine Ukrainian sovereignty. “Russia has failed to achieve the objectives it had set. Therefore, it will not settle for a partial result. And if encouraged to achieve even part of these ambitions without a victory on the battlefield, it would interpret this as a green light to continue expansion and would pursue the conflict in other formats,” he said.

Responding to polls showing a growing share of Ukrainians favouring peace, even at the cost of territorial concessions, Podolyak said that while it is understandable that after more than three years of war some Ukrainians may be psychologically ready to make concessions, the real obstacle lies with Russia. “Since Russia is not willing to end the conflict, talking about territorial concessions sounds very strange for Ukraine, as well as being contrary to the principles of international law,” he said.

“The question should be asked of the Russians: do they want to continue despite having suffered more than a million people killed and wounded?” Podolyak concluded.

By Tamilla Hasanova