Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is ready to cease fire at this moment, the Italian Corriere della Sera reported on the background of his visit to Italy.
The publication claims that Zelensky is ready for a ceasefire along the current line - without recognizing the new official border - in exchange for some Western commitments. First, a security guarantee from the United States. From Rome, Paris and Berlin, Zelensky would like assurances for a quick entry into the European Union, which would give Ukraine a horizon for growth.
Zelensky is reluctant to officially admit that the territories occupied by the Russian army are no longer Ukrainian, because that would be political suicide. Zelensky's office immediately issued a comment on this news, claiming that there is "no truth" in what Corriere della Sera wrote.
Russia's position to date is categorical – Putin does not want to stop the war. Western sanctions have not collapsed the Russian economy, and until they bend the Russian military machine, Putin has no reason to sit down at the negotiating table, the Italian newspaper wrote.
At this stage, Ukrainian forces are outnumbered in manpower and equipment along the entire Donbas front. The very choice for the Kursk invasion, launched by Zelensky in early August, has paradoxical aspects: among the objectives of the operation was to demonstrate strength to Ukraine's external supporters, to boost morale and encourage Western countries to help with more weapons and funds. Now, however, a significant number of elite Ukrainian units find themselves somewhat trapped in Russian territory and unable to come to the rescue along the line of contact in Donbass.