The liberation of the Ukrainian territories occupied by Moscow can push Russian President Volodymyr Putin to negotiations, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview with CBS News, as quoted by The Kyiv Independent.

Volodymyr ZelenskyiPhoto: ABACA / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia

Zelenskyi said that after the withdrawal of Russian troops from these territories, Putin’s support inside the country will be shaken, and Ukraine will not have to release all its territories captured since 2014 “only by military means.”

Ukraine and Russia held peace talks in the early stages of the war, but nothing came of them. Ukraine declared the impossibility of negotiations with Russia until the complete withdrawal of troops.

In September 2022, Zelensky said he would be open to the idea only if Putin was no longer in power.

“I am sure that when (Putin) loses what he has held since 2022, he will completely lose the trust of even those countries that are still not sure whether they should support Ukraine or not,” Zelenskyy said.

“And he will also lose power within his country. As soon as this happens, he will be ready for dialogue,” the president added.

Ukraine has said that peace talks should be based on its 10-step peace formula, which calls for the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.

The proposals also include prosecuting those guilty of war crimes, preventing ecocide in Ukraine, ensuring energy and food security, as well as nuclear security.

Russia has repeatedly rejected the plan and has said it will not take part in a peace summit to be held in Switzerland later this year.

More than 160 countries will be invited to discuss the Kyiv peace formula and create a joint document on what needs to be done to restore the country’s sovereignty.

As Kyiv finds itself in an increasingly difficult position in the war, Ukrainian military officials have warned that Moscow may be preparing for another major attack by building up a force of 100,000 troops.

Zelensky noted that the situation on the battlefield has stabilized compared to previous months, but did not rule out a major Russian offensive at the end of May or in June.