Zelenskyy says US exploring winter de-escalation between Ukraine, Russia

The United States is exploring the possibility of de-escalating the Russia-Ukraine conflict this winter and reviving negotiations on a comprehensive peace agreement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview with Axios, Report informs.Zelenskyy said Ukraine wanted to use September and October to restart the diplomatic process aimed at resolving the conflict. He noted that the UN General Assembly in New York later in September could provide one possible venue for talks.The Ukrainian president did not rule out another trilateral meeting involving Ukraine, the United States and Russia, but said there were no concrete agreements yet."We have this September and October to find any way to talk. Without dialogue... we will not have a result," he said.According to Zelenskyy, Washington is also studying possible arrangements for de-escalation during the winter. He expressed little optimism about that option, however, arguing that Moscow intended to use the winter to intensify pressure on Ukraine and force it into further concessions.Zelenskyy added that US President Donald Trump's authority could play a decisive role in reaching a settlement, saying a diplomatic breakthrough could also represent a political victory for Trump ahead of elections.