Top Ukrainian official hints at potential peace summit with Russia

A top Ukrainian official says Russia may soon be invited to participate in a peace summit on Ukraine’s terms.

Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, made the statement during a press conference on Sunday. Ukraine is already participating in a summit to discuss a vision for peace in Switzerland, though Russia will not be in attendance. 

“There can be a situation in which we together invite representatives of the Russian Federation, where they will be presented with the plan in case whoever is representing the aggressor country at that time will want to genuinely end this war and return to a just peace,” Yermak said Sunday.

Zelenskyy previously proposed a peace deal in late 2022. That deal called for the immediate withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine as well as the return to pre-war borders.

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Russia dismissed that proposal immediately, and the two nations have never directly engaged in talks.

The news comes as Ukraine’s defense stumbles, allowing for major Russian gains for the first time in months.

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Ukrainian officials have blamed their troubles on a lack of continued funding from the U.S. Republicans in Congress have blocked further spending on Ukraine this year.

Experts told Fox News Digital this weekend that the war is unlikely to conclude in 2024.

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“For Ukraine, the shell hunger and the manpower shortages caused by, and in the former case caused in part by U.S. delays to aid, it’s a challenging year,” John Hardie, the deputy director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD)’s Russia program, told Fox News Digital. 

“It was always going to be a tough year no matter what happened with U.S. aid,” he added. “The congressional delays have just made it worse. So, I think for Ukraine early this year, they’ll just try to hold on by the teeth and try to make it through 2025, when – if we put the pieces in place this year – I think Ukraine could regain the advantage.

Putin on Friday promised to continue improving Russia’s military power, including – once again – its nuclear capabilities, which he promised would remain in modernized and good order, according to Reuters. 

“Incorporating our real combat experience, we will continue to strengthen the Armed Forces in every possible way, including ongoing re-equipping and modernization efforts,” Putin said.

Fox News’ Peter Aitken and Reuters contributed to this report.