Ukraine open to discussing aerial truce with Russia, Zelensky's aide says
Ukraine is open to considering a ceasefire in the sky with Russia, even though Moscow has so far rejected similar scenarios, presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said in an interview with Corriere della Sera published on Aug. 12.
The comments come a few days before a high-stakes summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Aug. 15, part of Washington's efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
"Russia is unlikely to abandon the use of strategic aviation or large-scale drone deployments," Podolyak told the Italian newspaper when asked about a possible aerial truce.
"However, Ukraine is ready to discuss and consider this scenario, and sees it as the initial phase in reaching realistic negotiating positions."
Discussions about a mutual halt on aerial strikes have emerged on several occasions during the full-scale war.
Podolyak noted that a ceasefire in the sky would also be part of a comprehensive truce previously proposed by Washington. In March, Ukraine supported a U.S. proposal for a full 30-day truce during talks in Saudi Arabia.
Moscow has repeatedly refused to accept an unconditional ceasefire, only declaring temporary truces on several occasions, which Ukraine dismissed as a sham.
As Trump renewed his diplomatic push to broker a peace deal, Bloomberg reported on Aug. 5 that the Kremlin is weighing a proposal to pause its long-range strike campaign, even as it remains committed to continuing ground offensives.
No such offer has been publicly announced. Earlier in the week, a source close to Ukraine's Presidential Office told the Kyiv Independent that the claim was likely false and spread by Russia.
Throughout the full-scale war, Russia has battered Ukraine with missile attacks and drones, inflicting heavy civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure.
In turn, Ukraine has launched a campaign of long-range drone attacks against Russian energy facilities and military sites deep in the rear.
