Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense announced its readiness for negotiations to end the war

Ukraine is ready for negotiations to end the war, according to Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who announced this on his Facebook page.

He stated that discussions on this matter have already begun at a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in the Ramstein format in Brussels.

“Ukraine is ready for negotiations to end the war. However, a just and lasting peace is only possible when Ukraine is strong on the battlefield,” Umerov said.

At the contact group meeting, officials will discuss continued military aid for Ukraine in 2025, accelerated delivery of critical weapons, including ammunition, air defense systems, and aircraft, development of Ukraine’s defense industry and cooperation with European partners.

Additionally, Umerov has scheduled bilateral meetings in Brussels with defense ministers from allied countries.

Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelensky also declared his readiness for negotiations with Russia. However, he claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin is afraid to meet him without his inner circle.

Zelensky also stated that he was willing to negotiate an exchange of part of Russia’s Kursk region, currently held by Ukrainian forces, in return for Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia as part of the expected peace talks.