Kyiv: The US is exploring possible steps for Ukraine and Russia to de-escalate the war during the winter while restarting negotiations toward a broader peace agreement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the Axios news site Monday. Zelenskyy said the weeks ahead could provide an opportunity for diplomacy, arguing that Russian President Vladimir Putin may be seeking to avoid antagonizing US President Donald Trump ahead of US midterm elections.

According to Anadolu Agency, Zelenskyy indicated that Putin might be interested in giving Trump a diplomatic achievement before the elections. He met with Trump's envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, in Kyiv after their meeting with Putin in Moscow. The envoys conveyed that Russia is ready to negotiate, though their actions on the battlefield don't show a willingness to compromise, according to Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy mentioned that the US team traveled to Moscow and Kyiv with proposals to reduce tensions during the winter. These include ideas concerning energy facilities, grain shipments, and oil and gas exports. Zelenskyy noted that the emerging US approach involves restarting negotiations and finding arrangements to prevent a major escalation during the winter.

Additionally, Zelenskyy stated that the US supports a separate winter assistance package for Ukraine, involving air defense and energy support, including LNG (liquefied natural gas). He expressed Kyiv's intention to use September and October to revive diplomacy, with potential discussions at the UN General Assembly in New York and a possible trilateral meeting between the US, Ukraine, and Russia.

Zelenskyy emphasized the need for Ukraine to remain militarily strong during the diplomatic process and called for additional US sanctions on Russia, as he believes Putin requires funding to continue the war.