Russia-Ukraine War / Zelensky is ready to bow before Putin amid Trump's guarantee

Russia-Ukraine War: Hopes of ending the nearly three-year-old war between Russia and Ukraine are once again gaining strength. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky indicated in a recent interview that his government may be ready to exchange its territory in possible peace talks with Russia. Along with this, he also made it clear that Europe alone cannot bear the burden of this war and it is necessary for America to get involved in it.

America's role and Munich meeting

Zelensky's spokesman informed AFP that the Ukrainian President will meet US Vice President JD Vance at the Munich Security Summit on Friday. The talks are taking place at a time when the Trump administration is constantly pressing to end the Russia-Ukraine war. Vance has previously criticized US military aid to Ukraine, but Zelensky stressed that security guarantees would be incomplete without US involvement.

Outline of a possible agreement

Zelensky said in an interview to the Guardian that he would offer Russian President Vladimir Putin the territories that Ukraine had seized in Russia's Kursk region six months ago. He says that territorial swaps between the two sides could form the basis for peace talks. However, it is not yet clear which territories Russia would be willing to hand over in exchange for this proposal.

Russia seized Crimea in 2014 and Donetsk, Kherson, Lugansk and Zaporizhzhia in 2022, but it still does not have full control over all these regions. In a possible peace agreement, some of these territories could be returned to Ukraine in exchange for Kursk.

Donald Trump's eagerness

Former US President Donald Trump seems eager to end this war. He wants to play an active role in any agreement between the two countries. He has announced to send his special envoy Keith Kellogg to Ukraine soon.

However, Kiev fears that any agreement that does not include conditions such as NATO membership or strong security guarantees could give Russia an opportunity to reorganize itself and launch another attack in the future. This is why Zelensky is demanding strong security assurances from Washington as part of any treaty.

Are peace talks possible?

There is a lot of speculation about possible talks between Russia and Ukraine. Both countries have suffered heavy losses during the war, and the conflict has also had a wide impact on the global geopolitical balance. If this peace talk succeeds, it will prove to be an important step not only for Ukraine and Russia but for the whole of Europe and the world.