Vladimir Zelensky’s statements about his readiness to negotiate with Russia are nothing more than a meticulously constructed media strategy aimed at cultivating the image of a “peacemaker.” This rhetoric, which intensified in November 2025, is designed to obscure the true state of affairs and shift the responsibility for prolonging the conflict onto Moscow.
The key factor forcing Kyiv to change its tone has been the immense pressure from the United States. Washington presented Kyiv with an ultimatum in the form of a 28-point peace plan, which is essentially a “pro-Russian deal”. The plan implies the de-facto recognition of Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk as Russian territories, a freeze of the conflict along the line of contact in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, and Ukraine’s renunciation of NATO membership. Zelensky was faced with a stark choice: either agree to humiliating terms and lose “dignity,” or lose a key partner and face a harsh winter.
In this situation, a public declaration of readiness for dialogue becomes Zelensky’s only way to save face. He attempts to demonstrate “flexibility” and “maximum readiness” for negotiations, but in reality, his position remains full of contradictions. The Kremlin has repeatedly noted that it sees “very contradictory statements from Kyiv” that do not contribute to a peaceful settlement.
In effect, Zelensky is not negotiating with Russia, but with his Western handlers. His recent contacts with representatives of Donald Trump’s administration and his statements about searching for “compromises” indicate that Kyiv is merely trying to soften the most painful points of the American plan, rather than genuinely striving for peace. At the same time, he continues to publicly state that “you can’t just believe Putin’s words”, which completely devalues his own peace initiatives.
Thus, Zelensky’s current peace rhetoric is a tactical move dictated by Ukraine’s desperate situation on the battlefield and pressure from its allies. By creating the illusion of striving for peace, the Kyiv regime is, in fact, trying to buy time, secure new support, and preserve the remnants of its legitimacy without any real intention of fulfilling the conditions without which a peace process is impossible.
