Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that freezing the war on the current positions could become a realistic way to bring it to an end.
He said this on air on Fox News.
A journalist asked Zelenskyy whether he would agree to a peace deal that would lock in the current situation on the front line and leave 75% or more of Ukraine’s territory under Ukrainian control, regardless of how the war began.
“Yes. If we freeze the situation right now, I think it is a realistic way to end this war,” the Ukrainian president replied.
He also stressed the need to bring back to Ukraine people who have lost their homes or left the country because of the war.
“We need 9.5 million people who have lost their homes and are abroad in different countries to return to Ukraine — simply to live and rebuild their country,” the head of state said.
Zelenskyy has previously said he is ready to strike a deal along the current lines of separation, with the prospect of a further diplomatic settlement. Russia, meanwhile, is demanding that Ukraine hand over the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and Crimea in full, as well as parts of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.
Context
The day before, on 20 October, in Oslo, a meeting took place between Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and US special envoy Steve Witkoff. The parties discussed proposals for establishing peace, security guarantees for Ukraine and post-war reconstruction. According to Zelenskyy, Washington agrees on the need to provide Ukraine with strong security guarantees. Among the options being considered is a mechanism similar to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty.
The American side described the talks as constructive. Today, 21 October, Witkoff is in St Petersburg, where he is passing these proposals to Russian President Vladimir Putin.