Zelensky says Ukraine ready to freeze conflict along current front line
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine is ready to stop the war as quickly as possible by freezing the conflict along the current front line. He ruled out recognizing occupied territory as Russian or voluntarily ceding 25% of Ukraine’s territory, saying Ukraine would need security guarantees if it retained control over 75% of the country.
Key points
- Zelensky said Ukraine is ready to freeze the conflict along the current front line.
- Ukraine will not recognize temporarily occupied territory as Russian, Zelensky said.
- Zelensky rejected the possibility of ceding 25% of Ukraine’s territory for an agreement.
- Russia currently controls 19.3% of Ukrainian territory, according to Zelensky.
- The proposed freeze would preserve Ukrainian control over 75% of the country and require security guarantees from partners.
- Restrictions on Starlink remain in effect, Zelensky said.
- Putin told Steve Witkoff that Moscow was ready to resume US-Ukraine-Russia trilateral talks in the second half of October.
Why it matters
Zelensky’s position sets out the conditions under which Ukraine is prepared to halt the war and begin negotiations. The freeze would preserve Ukrainian control over 75% of the country, but Ukraine would require security guarantees from its partners. Its refusal to recognize occupied territory as Russian or voluntarily cede 25% of its territory narrows the scope of a possible compromise. Meanwhile, Russia has said it is ready to resume trilateral talks.
What happened
Zelensky said Ukraine is ready to stop the war as quickly as possible by freezing the conflict along the present front line. At the same time, he rejected any move to recognize temporarily occupied territory as Russian and said Ukraine would not voluntarily cede 25% of its territory. He said Russia currently controls 19.3% of Ukraine and that relinquishing 25% would mean Ukrainian forces withdrawing from all the Donbas territory they control. Zelensky also said restrictions on Starlink remain in effect. He noted that a previous proposal to freeze the front line and move to diplomacy was rejected by Russia.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian coverage focuses on Ukraine’s willingness to freeze the war along the current front line while rejecting any legal recognition of occupied territory as Russian or voluntary territorial withdrawal. Particular attention is given to preserving control over 75% of Ukraine, securing guarantees from partners and the continuing restrictions on Starlink.
Background
In June, Zelensky proposed freezing the front line and recording the existing situation so that peace negotiations could begin, but Russia rejected the approach. Special presidential envoy Steve Witkoff met Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg on October 21 and also met Zelensky and the leaders of Norway and Finland in Oslo. During the approximately three-hour meeting, Putin told Witkoff that Moscow was ready to resume US-Ukraine-Russia talks in the second half of October. Ukraine also received 24 Patriot missiles from the United States over three months.