Zelensky’s words about ending the war by November linked to U.S. congressional elections — source

Vladimir Zelensky’s statements at a meeting with deputies of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction about a possible end to the war by November are connected to the autumn U.S. midterm congressional elections.

This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing a source in the presidential circle.

“We assume that the Americans intend to try to calm everything down before their elections this autumn,” the source told the outlet.

According to the source, Washington’s calculation is based on the expectation that the U.S. will soon conclude its war with Iran — after which Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner will have the time and opportunity to return to the Ukrainian settlement. In particular, a visit by Kushner and Witkoff to Ukraine may take place; Zelensky has already publicly invited them twice.

Regarding Russia’s position, Ukrainian authorities have an expectation: if Vladimir Putin “sees that he is stuck in Donbas, he will not go into another winter.” Kyiv’s maximum goal for the next five to six months is to “try to bring the peace process to a result acceptable to Ukraine” — for example, a freeze of the conflict along the front line with security guarantees.

At the same time, the source in Zelensky’s circle predicts that even if Russia agrees to a freeze along the line of demarcation, Moscow will, in the course of negotiations, put forward what he described as a “knowingly unenforceable condition” — for example, recognition of Russian as a second state language or “the extradition of those involved in the strike on Starobilsk.”

The RBC-Ukraine source also acknowledged that some of Russia’s demands in the humanitarian sphere may appear quite acceptable in the eyes of the U.S. and even Europe, but will provoke outrage within Ukraine itself — at least on social media. According to him, such “destabilization” will also play into Moscow’s hands.

According to the source, Russia has a clear plan in the event of a freeze in the war or a reduction in its intensity — for example, without the use of missile strikes.

“Their plan is to leverage elections, internal political fragmentation of Ukraine, and in this way achieve all the same goals of Russia by political means or a new full-scale war, but under conditions of significant internal weakening and fragmentation of Ukraine,” the source noted.

Meanwhile, even as Zelensky was telling the faction meeting about an imminent end to the hot phase of the war, he had, according to Western media, instructed the government to prepare to fight for another two to three years.