Zelensky believes that Putin could grant Trump a diplomatic victory before the midterm elections in the U.S.

The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky stated this Tuesday that Vladimir Putin might be willing to offer a diplomatic victory to Donald Trump ahead of the midterm elections in the United States, scheduled for November 3, 2026, according to an interview granted to the outlet Axios. The statement came a day after Trump's special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, visited Kiev on their first trip to Ukraine since the beginning of the U.S. president's second term, having held a meeting of over three hours with Putin at the Kremlin on Saturday. My feeling is that Putin needs Trump. He does not want to... go against him, Zelenski told Axios. When directly asked if Putin might want to give Trump a diplomatic achievement before the elections, the Ukrainian president replied succinctly: Yes. Zelenski acknowledged that, even if Putin has no intention of de-escalating on his own accord, the Trump administration could pressure him to do so, given the U.S. president's interest in demonstrating progress before voters head to the polls to elect the entire House of Representatives and part of the Senate. The Ukrainian leader described the message conveyed by the envoys as "the Russians are ready to negotiate," although he expressed skepticism: the escalation of Russian attacks on the ground does not, in his view, reflect any real willingness to compromise. According to Zelensky, the discussions focused on possible easing measures related to the winter. "There are ideas about energy facilities, grain shipments, electricity, and oil and gas exports. We have different interests, Russia and us," he noted. The Ukrainian president described the approach being explored by Washington —resuming negotiations while simultaneously avoiding further escalation during the cold months— as "very close to the reality of these discussions." Washington also supports a winter aid package for Ukraine that would include air defense and energy assistance. "It's not just about missiles," Zelensky clarified. "It's also about liquefied natural gas... and about de-escalation measures." The president warned that Russia is betting on winter being the factor that breaks Ukraine. 'Russia truly believes that this winter can help them crush us,' he stated, adding that Moscow hopes a winter offensive and attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure will deliver a "strong blow" that forces Kiev to concede more territory in negotiations. However, Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine also has economic leverage over Russia. «When they attacked our electricity, we blocked their ability to sell oil and gas», he recalled, and warned that disruptions in agricultural exports could drive global food prices up. The Ukrainian president insisted that Kiev has already made all possible concessions and that any diplomatic process must be accompanied by security guarantees and an economic support package. Additionally, he called for new U.S. sanctions against Russia as a leverage point. "Putin needs money. Putin wants money to continue the war," he stated. Regarding the next steps, Zelenski proposed the UN General Assembly in New York, scheduled for late September, as a potential venue for new discussions between Washington and Kiev, and did not rule out a trilateral session with Russian participation, although with no specific date or location established. The diplomacy of Trump's envoys is framed within a relationship between Washington and Moscow that has been described as pragmatic: Putin called Trump to congratulate him on his 80th birthday in June 2026 during a 55-minute conversation, and in April he proposed a truce during a 90-minute call that the American president supported. "We have this September and October to find a way to talk," Zelensky concluded. "Without dialogue... we will not achieve any results."