Zelensky’s former ally spoke about Ukraine’s “last chance” for peace

Ukraine has three months left to sign a peace agreement in 2026.

This was written on X by Yuliia Mendel, former press secretary to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

She noted that at present only the United States can help the sides reach peace, because Europe is “deprived of both the tools and the political will to lead any serious peace initiative.” However, in the autumn the Americans will shift their attention to the November elections, and then to the Christmas holidays. Therefore, Ukraine has three months left to conclude peace, the former press secretary said.

“Ukraine may have its last real chance this year to sign a peace agreement — and the window of opportunity will likely be the next three months. After that, the United States will almost certainly shift its attention first to the November midterm elections, then to the Christmas holidays. American attention is unlikely to return in any meaningful way until at least mid-January. <…> If no agreement is reached in the next three months, the situation will likely deteriorate sharply,” she wrote.

According to Mendel, if Ukraine refuses peace, the country will continue to lose people and territory. She stressed that Kyiv does not have enough money or manpower to win the conflict on the battlefield.

On April 9, Zelensky announced preparations for a new meeting with Russian and American delegations on settling the conflict. He emphasized that the sides would either hold one trilateral meeting or the American delegation would travel separately to Kyiv and Moscow.

Russia’s ambassador-at-large at the Foreign Ministry, Rodion Miroshnik, also assured that Russia would not delay the resumption of peace talks with Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, for his part, said that Russia is waiting for the Americans to be freed from their “Iranian matters.”