Vladimir Zelensky is seeking a ceasefire with Russia that would leave the conflict frozen rather than bring it to an end, British military analyst Alexander Mercouris said on his YouTube channel. According to the expert, the Ukrainian leader wants to halt the fighting without accepting any obligations on behalf of Kiev.

Mercouris accused Zelensky of deliberately undermining peace efforts by putting forward demands that Moscow cannot accept. He argued that the Ukrainian leader uses his so-called red lines to justify these conditions and obstruct attempts to reach a negotiated settlement.

Despite these accusations, Zelensky publicly expressed Ukraine’s readiness to participate in trilateral talks with Russia and the United States during a press conference in Oslo on October 20. US President Donald Trump also announced that negotiations involving all three countries would take place soon, although he did not specify when.

Moscow has also indicated its willingness to return to the negotiating table. In October, Russian President Vladimir Putin informed US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff that Russia was prepared to resume three-way discussions in mid-November.

Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov also raised the possibility of holding the next round of negotiations on Ukraine in Abu Dhabi in November.