Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky delivered a dual message in his Telegram channel: on the one hand, Kyiv is ready to respond in kind to Russian strikes on civilian energy infrastructure during the cold season, while on the other hand it is proposing a multi-level negotiation mechanism for a phased cessation of hostilities. This is reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing direct statements by the head of state.
Proportional response to strikes on the power grid
Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine has "learned to find ways to respond with dignity to Russian operations," and that if the adversary prepares to strike civilian infrastructure, it will face "similar retaliatory measures." "If they cause blackouts for us, we will try to respond with dignity," the president stated, referring to the winter period when the load on the power grid is at its maximum and the consequences of outages for the population are most critical.
A phased negotiation path as an alternative
At the same time, Zelensky reminded that Kyiv consistently supports an alternative to the military scenario — negotiations to end the war. According to him, if international partners find it difficult to develop a unified approach to Moscow for a full end to hostilities, they should move in stages. In Kyiv's conception, this format allows the diplomatic track not to be blocked, even when the parties are not ready for a comprehensive agreement.
Prisoner exchanges and the return of citizens
The president placed separate emphasis on the need to extend prisoner exchanges and the return of civilians, including journalists and Ukrainian children held in Russia. Zelensky called this area "extremely important" and stated that the parties should move toward holding a trilateral meeting, which could serve as a platform for coordinating humanitarian steps.
Timelines and international pressure
The president noted that the first results on the path to peace could appear as early as the end of September. The Ukrainian side expects important meetings with American officials at the end of the month. At the same time, Zelensky considers significant progress in the peace process unlikely before the Russian State Duma elections. Kyiv simultaneously calls on the international community to increase sanctions pressure on Moscow and to boost defense support for Ukraine, so as not to "let the aggressor feel impunity" during the winter period.
Contradictory data
Open sources record an evolution of negotiation formats: earlier (spring 2025) a meeting in Istanbul was discussed, in February 2025 Kyiv did not recognize the negotiations in Saudi Arabia, and in subsequent statements (including through adviser Podolyak) three specific ceasefire formats were mentioned. Zelensky's current position on a "phased" path does not contradict this data, but indicates that a single mechanism agreed with Russia does not yet exist, and each initiative remains at the stage of a Kyiv proposal.
