Zelensky Signals Readiness for Elections, Rejects Russian Demands and Launches Missile Production

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has declared his willingness to hold presidential elections in order to bring an end to the armed conflict. He made the statement during a closed-door meeting following negotiations with U.S. President Donald Trump, according to RBC-Ukraine. Zelensky stressed that elections would only be considered if they positively contributed to conflict resolution, noting that premature voting risked destabilizing the country. Zelensky Rejects Territorial Concessions The Ukrainian leader reiterated that Kyiv would never legally recognize Russia’s control over Crimea or other occupied regions. He revealed that Ukraine had tried to persuade Trump on the territorial issue during their August 18 meeting in Washington. Zelensky warned that if Ukrainian forces lost fortified positions in Donetsk, Russia could launch new offensives toward Kharkiv and Dnipro. Possible Meeting with Putin in Neutral Europe Zelensky said Ukraine was preparing for a U.S.-mediated meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, suggesting Switzerland and Austria as neutral venues. “We consider it fair, as emphasized by Europeans, that the meeting should take place in neutral Europe, because the conflict is on the European continent,” Zelensky stated. His chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, expanded the list of possible venues to include Turkey and Saudi Arabia, while ruling out Moscow and Budapest due to the legacy of the 1994 Budapest Memorandum on nuclear disarmament.