Media reported Zelensky's change of rhetoric on the conflict in Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (term expired on May 20) has softened his rhetoric on ending the conflict in Ukraine after the victory of Republican Donald Trump in the US presidential election. This was reported by the British newspaper The Telegraph on November 21.

As noted in the material, Zelensky abandoned "maximalist ambitions to defeat Russia on the battlefield" and the desire to return territories through force.

"We can not spend tens of thousands of our people to die for the return of Crimea. We understand that Crimea can be returned diplomatically," the British newspaper quoted him as saying.

The Ukrainian leader added that the conflict in Ukraine will end faster "thanks to the policy of the team that will now head the White House."

Earlier, on November 20, Zelensky said that Ukraine is ready to "return Crimea by diplomatic means" and admitted that the state does not have the ability to do it by force. He also admitted that he would not be able to reach the 1991 borders of Ukraine due to a lack of resources.

On November 17, Nicolas Dupont-Eignan, leader of the party "Arise, France" wrote in social networks that the Ukrainian president wanted peace a week after Donald Trump won the US presidential election.

Prior to that, on November 14, Trump promised to "work very hard" to end the Ukrainian conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said that Russia will wait for proposals to this effect and is ready to consider them.

Back in June, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with the leadership of the Russian Foreign Ministry and named the conditions for negotiations on Ukraine. He pointed out that the Ukrainian Armed Forces should be completely withdrawn from all territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics, Kherson and Zaporizhzhya regions. Kiev should also give up the idea of joining NATO.

The special operation to protect Donbass, the start of which was announced by the Russian president on February 24, 2022, continues. The decision was taken against the background of the aggravated situation in the region.