Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is ready to freeze the war along the current front lines. He called it a first step towards a full ceasefire with Russia.
Zelensky made the remarks on Wednesday during an appearance on Fox & Friends. “Freeze and stop,” he said, describing how the fighting could be halted where the armies now stand.
The comment is a big shift. Kyiv has long said it would not give up land. A freeze would leave Russian forces in control of the areas they now hold, at least for the time being.
On the same day, US envoy Steve Witkoff met Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg. The meeting lasted around three hours. It was part of President Donald Trump’s push to end the war.
Russia said it is “ready in principle” to restart three-way talks with Ukraine and the United States. Reports say Abu Dhabi is being discussed as a possible venue. A date after 10 November has been mentioned.
Trump said a peace deal may now be “the closest we’ve been”. His team has been pressing both sides to accept a settlement for months, as Washington also weighs fresh strikes on Iran in another crisis.
But the guns have not fallen silent. Only hours after the talks, Russian missiles hit Kyiv. Six people were injured, according to Ukrainian officials.
The contrast shows how hard a deal will be. Zelensky’s offer may open a door, but both sides still disagree on land, security promises and what happens after a freeze.
US officials have been shuttling between the two capitals for weeks, much like Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s surprise trip to Israel this week. For now, the next step is to see if the three-way talks actually take place.
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