Zelensky to present plan to Biden for ending the war with Russia

(Patria) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said yesterday that the war with Russia will eventually end with dialogue, but Kyiv must be in a strong position and will present a plan to U.S. President Joe Biden and his potential successors.

The Ukrainian leader announced at a press conference that Kyiv's three-week incursion into Russia's Kursk region is part of that plan, but it also includes other steps on the economic and diplomatic fronts.

- The main point of this plan is to force Russia to stop the war. And I really want it to be fair for Ukraine - Zelensky told reporters in Kyiv about the war launched by Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

He did not elaborate on the next steps, but said he would also discuss the plan with Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and likely Republican Donald Trump, two candidates for the U.S. presidential election.

Zelensky said he hopes to travel to the U.S. in September to attend a session of the UN General Assembly in New York and is preparing to meet with Biden.

His remarks indicated that he sees the main potential forum for talks as a continuation of an international peace summit, where Ukraine has said it wants Russia to be represented.

The first summit to promote Kyiv's vision of peace, held in Switzerland in June, excluded Russia while attracting numerous delegations, but not from China, the world's second-largest economy, despite Kyiv's efforts.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on August 19 that negotiations are out of the question after Ukraine launched a major cross-border incursion into Russia's Kursk region on August 6.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who visited Kyiv last week, spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday and told him that he supports a swift and peaceful resolution to the Ukrainian conflict.

Zelensky is adamant in his claim that Russia wants to dictate terms to Ukraine in any war settlement, which Kyiv considers unacceptable.

Putin said any agreement should begin with Ukraine's acceptance of "realities on the ground," which would leave Russia in possession of significant parts of four Ukrainian regions and Crimea.

Ukraine now says it controls more than 1,200 square kilometers of Russia's Kursk region.

- There can be no compromise with Putin, dialogue today is in principle empty and meaningless because he does not want to end the war diplomatically - Zelensky said at a press conference.

He added that the offensive in the Kursk region has reduced the number of governments worldwide calling on Ukraine to compromise with Russia to end the war and give up parts of its territory.

On the battlefield, Zelensky mocked Putin, whom he said prioritizes capturing Ukrainian land over defending his own territory.