Zelenskyy sees late 2026 to summer 2027 as key window for ending war
KYIV — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday that the most realistic window for diplomacy to bring Russia’s war against Ukraine to an end stretches from late 2026 through the summer of 2027, while acknowledging that major differences remain over the future of Donbas.Speaking at a ceremony marking Ukraine’s National Flag Day in Kyiv, Zelenskyy said negotiations had entered what he viewed as a potentially decisive period.“We believe that this is the most active stage at which diplomacy can lead to the end of the war. It’s the end of this year and the end of summer 2027,” Zelenskyy said.He said the question of withdrawing Ukrainian forces from Donbas remained a major point of disagreement in efforts to reach a settlement.Among the ceasefire options being discussed with the United States and European partners is a reciprocal withdrawal of forces and the establishment of a buffer “free economic zone” administered by a third party, Zelenskyy said.Kyiv is also prepared to discuss a mutual halt to attacks on energy and agricultural infrastructure, he added.Leaders from Nordic and Baltic countries attended Sunday’s events in Kyiv.Zelenskyy said Ukraine faces a $27 billion shor
