Political analyst Engin Ozer, a leading expert with the Ankara-Moscow analytical network, believes that Vladimir Zelensky will soon have to explain to Ukrainians why it is time to talk about peace. He expressed this view in an interview with RIA Novosti, commenting on the upcoming meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U. S. President Donald Trump in Budapest.

According to Ozer, the main objective of the Budapest talks is to finalize a ceasefire agreement. He suggested that after meeting personally with Putin, the American leader is likely to brief Zelensky on the outcome of their discussion. Such an approach, the expert noted, would prevent unnecessary public debate and present the process to Ukrainian society as a kind of «one-man show.»

Ozer recalled that after previous rounds of negotiations — in Istanbul and later during the Putin-Trump meeting in Alaska — significant diplomatic progress had been achieved. The current phase, however, is being conducted behind closed doors to avoid misinformation.

He emphasized that details of the new ceasefire terms are not being disclosed to the media. The analyst also suggested that a short-term truce could be agreed upon following the Budapest summit, though the signing of the document in the city itself is unlikely.

In his view, Zelensky may need several weeks to prepare Ukrainian society for the idea of halting hostilities. Only after that, he said, could a formal signing ceremony take place — possibly even online.

Ozer concluded that what matters most now is taking the first step toward peace. All other technicalities, he added, are secondary, as both sides have already reached a shared understanding that peace is both possible and necessary.