Zelenskyy orders push to end war before winter, aide says

Kyrylo Budanov, the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has instructed his team to work toward ending the war before winter, according to remarks delivered at the “Security Architecture 2026” forum and reported by Suspilne Novyny.

“The President’s instruction is to try to end this war as soon as possible. Preferably before winter. As Head of the Office of the President, I will do everything to achieve the goal set by the President of Ukraine. It is absolutely correct, timely and well-considered,” Budanov said.

He added that Ukraine has sufficient capacity to pursue this objective, while cautioning that Russia could still backtrack on any agreements reached. At the same time, Budanov noted that there are already “real signs of a cessation of hostilities.”

Zelenskyy has repeatedly stated that Ukraine is ready to resume negotiations aimed at ending the war in a Ukraine–US–Russia format. Those talks have been stalled since the United States launched a military operation against Iran in February. The Ukrainian president has also said he is prepared to meet personally with Russian President Vladimir Putin to resolve territorial issues.

Putin, for his part, has said he is open to such a meeting but insisted it should be “final” and focused on “signing an agreement,” rather than discussing the terms of ending the war.

On May 22, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that Washington remains willing to act as a mediator between Kyiv and Moscow, provided there is an opportunity for a “constructive and productive” dialogue.

By Tamilla Hasanova