Zelensky Proposes Freezing the Front as First Step Toward Ceasefire Talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, October 21, called for freezing the front in the war against Russia and treating it as a first step toward ceasefire talks. He made the remarks in an interview on the US program "Fox and Friends", when asked whether Kyiv would accept a peace deal that fixes the current front lines after Russia's invasion.

"Right now we have to freeze, and I think this is the real way to end this war. We call it ceasefire... freeze and stop," Zelensky said.

Talks in Saint Petersburg

The comments came as US envoy Steve Witkoff met Russian President Vladimir Putin for talks on ending the war. As Witkoff arrived in Saint Petersburg, Russia announced it would soon begin diesel shipments to the United States under a deal with US President Donald Trump. Moscow also said it had freed US citizen Stephen Hubbard, who had been held in Russia since the start of the war.

Ukraine must be at the table

Zelensky stressed that any peace talks must include Ukraine. He said Kyiv is open to negotiating in any format and on any topic, but asked that no one speak about Ukraine without Ukraine. In his view, a peace deal must also include security guarantees from partners, including the United States and European allies. Such guarantees would help ensure Ukrainians are not afraid that occupation, aggression and killings will return.

Starshield dispute

Zelensky spoke days after Kyiv accused Washington of deliberately slowing the Starshield communications system, which is operated by SpaceX and is crucial for Ukraine's battlefield communications. Ukraine also uses SpaceX's parallel civilian satellite system, Starlink.

Zelensky said Starlink and Starshield services remain limited, but that Secretary of State Marco Rubio told him he would work with his team to lift the restrictions. The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that SpaceX owner Elon Musk had ordered the reduction in Starshield services. Musk had earlier said any limits would have come from Trump, a claim the US president denied.