Zelenskyy warns Putin peace offer may be 'political trick'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s stated readiness for peace talks could amount to a “political trick” designed to avoid escalating tensions with Washington ahead of US midterm elections, while confirming Kyiv’s preparedness for trilateral negotiations in November.

Speaking to Ukrainian broadcaster TSN, Zelenskyy said the Kremlin’s intentions would become clear through its actions and readiness to reach agreements. He added that Kyiv was ready for technical group talks next month but stressed they must produce concrete results, proposing an energy ceasefire, maritime security and grain shipment agreements, an all-for-all prisoner exchange, or a trilateral leaders’ meeting if a full settlement proved impossible.

'We are not exchanging anything for anything'

“Energy, grain, people -- these are concrete things, while a meeting at the level of leaders is an opportunity to have something concrete after our trilateral,” Zelenskyy said. He noted that territorial issues could only be discussed at the leaders’ level, describing this as a “red line,” and rejected any restrictions on Ukraine’s armed forces or requirements for the country to remain neutral.

“We are not exchanging anything for anything. We are ready for discussions,” he said, adding that other issues could be addressed by technical groups. Zelenskyy emphasized that he did not want Ukraine to enter a leaders’ level meeting after sanctions against Moscow had been lifted, citing the need to maintain leverage. “I do not want us to find ourselves at a meeting with Putin without tools -- without sanctions, without money, or without frozen assets. Because then, as Mr. Trump said, we really would not have too many cards in our deck,” he said.

Oleshky ceasefire arrangement

Zelenskyy expressed concern over the localized ceasefire in the Russian-controlled city of Oleshky arranged by US First Lady Melania Trump, which is set to begin on October 27 to allow humanitarian missions access. He said Russian forces would need to clear mined roads to facilitate evacuations, warning that Moscow could seek to direct evacuees toward its territories rather than allow free passage to Ukrainian-controlled areas. “Of course, Russia will do everything to demine the roads in such a way that these people go to Russia and stay there,” he said, stressing that the priority was ending the blockade and ensuring residents could reach Ukraine safely.