Zelensky sees 'window' for peace deal before US midterms
Ukraine has a chance to end the war with Russia before the U.S. midterm elections in November, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with Sky News published on Feb. 27.
"Now I think that we have a chance... it depends on these months, if we will have a chance to finish the war before autumn," the president said.
"Before elections, important, influential, elections in the United States. If it will be possible to achieve a peace... now we have this window."
The comments come amid ongoing U.S.-mediated efforts to broker peace between Kyiv and Moscow, which have yet to achieve a breakthrough on ceasefire and territorial issues.
Zelensky previously signaled that Washington will likely pressure both Ukraine and Russia to conclude a deal by summer, linking this to domestic political dynamics in the U.S.
U.S. President Donald Trump's Republican Party faces the risk of Democrats reclaiming Congress in November, a shift that could significantly weaken the White House's agenda.
According to Zelensky, the U.S. has the power to bring the war to an end but only by exerting stronger pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin through sanctions and supplies of advanced weapons to Ukraine.
The latest Ukraine-U.S. engagement in peace efforts included a call between Zelensky and Trump on Feb. 25 and a meeting of top officials in Geneva the following day. During talks in Switzerland, the two sides focused on Ukraine's post-war recovery and the next round of trilateral talks with Russia.
The next round of negotiations is expected to take place in Abu Dhabi in early March.
