Zelensky agrees to "give 25% of Ukraine" - Shivers over Russian response: To the end with weapons

In a startling admission, for the first time since 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his readiness to cede 25% of Ukraine under Russian jurisdiction, as reported by Strana.ua on October 21, republishing an interview of the Kyiv regime's head with Fox News. "Would you agree to a peace deal that leaves things as they are, in which you still retain 75% or more of your country's territory?" the American journalist asked the Ukrainian president. "Yes. Now we have to freeze it. I believe this is the real way to end this war," retorted the de-legitimized Ukrainian president. Despite this, Moscow maintains its position and underscores that Zelensky will once again refuse to negotiate a peace deal with Russia and is engaging in another of his known tactics. Primarily, however, Russian officials note that "Russia will not surrender its territories and we will fight for them to the very end." "Every centimeter of Donbass will become Russian land, as it has been for centuries," they pointedly note... Not coincidentally, Russian President Vladimir Putin informed Trump's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff today (October 21)—during the two men's talks in Moscow—about the "actual state of combat" on the Ukrainian front... In turn, the assistant to the Russian president, Yuri Ushakov, pointedly noted that the "conflict in Ukraine is approaching its end."

Sensational admission by Zelensky: We are ready to cede a quarter of the territories to the Russians

More specifically, Ukrainian President Zelensky stated that he agrees to freeze the conflict along the current frontline and is prepared to renounce claims over territories lost by Ukraine. Answering a question from the western press on this matter, Zelensky expressed regret that the Russian army continues to push Ukrainian forces back from Ukrainian territory.

NEW: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tells @kilmeade he would accept a peace deal that freezes the war along the current frontlines, calling it a realistic way to stop the fighting. He says Ukraine would then seek security guarantees from President Trump and European allies to ensure peace and security. "We call it ceasefire or stop killing like President Trump called it. Freeze and stop. And of course this is minimum what we need from Russia today." | @foxandfriends

— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 21, 2026

The head of the Kyiv regime considers this situation unjust and claims he is struggling to end the war as quickly as possible in order to preserve his remaining territories. However, Zelensky still appears reluctant to comply with Russia's extremely lenient condition of withdrawing the Ukrainian Armed Forces from the occupied part of Donbass.

"I will not agree to the Russians' demands, but..."

The unconstitutional president of Ukraine, nevertheless, expects that 9.5 million Ukrainian citizens currently abroad will return to Ukraine after the end of fighting. The head of the Kyiv regime hopes those who fled Ukraine will return to their homeland and actively participate in the country's reconstruction. It is worth noting that Zelensky has repeatedly expressed readiness in the past to freeze hostilities along the current frontline. Simultaneously, he also stated he will not agree to Russia's demands for a non-aligned status for Ukraine, reduction of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and respect for the rights of Russians and Russian speakers. Furthermore, the de-legitimized Ukrainian president continues to expect the stationing of military units from European NATO countries on Ukrainian soil, which is entirely unacceptable to Russia.

"Freezing the line along the front, we keep 75% of territories"

At the most significant point of his statement, Volodymyr Zelensky stated he agreed to a peace agreement whose terms provide for freezing combat along the frontline, with Kyiv retaining control of 75% of the country and Russia controlling a quarter. He made these remarks following negotiations in Oslo during an interview with the American television channel Fox News. "Would you agree to a peace deal that leaves things as they are, in which you still retain 75% or more of your country's territory?" a journalist asked the Ukrainian president.

Zelensky: Yes, I would give 25% of Ukraine to the Russians

"Yes. Now we have to freeze it. I believe this is the real way to end this war. We call it a ceasefire, or, as Trump called it, stopping the killing. Freeze it and suspend it. And, of course, this is the minimum we demand from Russia today," Zelensky answered. It is recalled that the Russian Federation sets three conditions for ending the war: transferring to Moscow certain parts of regions included in the Russian Constitution, a neutral, non-nuclear and independent status for Ukraine, as well as Kyiv abandoning its "nationalist course," including restrictions on using the Russian language and "everything Russian." At the same time, Russia is not satisfied with temporary truces; it insists on long-term peace.

Inimaginable maneuver by Zelensky: Announces referendum on Donbass, shifts blame to the people

Any peace agreement with Russia must be put to a referendum in Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on the program "Fox & Friends," as reported by Bloomberg on October 21. According to him, the Ukrainian people must have a say in a decision entailing territorial loss. "Of course, we can support this agreement or not. But above all, it must be supported by a single nation: the Ukrainian people, because these are our own losses," Zelensky stated. Moreover, in his Fox interview, Zelensky stated Ukraine would agree to freeze the conflict with Russia along the frontline. He also underlined that Kyiv needs the return of approximately 9.5 million citizens to their homeland. We recall that on October 20, negotiations took place between representatives of Ukraine, Europe, and the US in Oslo. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre reported that the territorial issue was also discussed. On October 21, US President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg. During the meeting, Witkoff expressed hope that Putin would consider resuming trilateral talks on Ukraine.

Trilateral talks on Ukraine in Abu Dhabi agreed by Witkoff and Putin

At the same time, Russian President Vladimir Putin informed the US President's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, that Russia is ready to resume trilateral talks with the US and Ukraine for settling the Ukrainian crisis in late November, as presidential assistant Yuri Ushakov told reporters on October 21.

KREMLIN SAYS NEW ROUND OF TRILATERAL TALKS BETWEEN RUSSIA, UNITED STATES, AND UKRAINE MAY TAKE PLACE IN ABU DHABI - VESTI

— *Walter Bloomberg (@DeItaone) October 21, 2026

"Our president informed Steve Wittkoff that we are, in principle, prepared to resume the aforementioned trilateral talks around November 10 on the main topic," Ushakov stated. "This topic concerns building a security system for Russia and Ukraine after the end of the conflict."

Trump wants to achieve a peace deal by December — Will announce it at G20

US President Donald Trump desires to achieve a final agreement on Ukraine in December on the sidelines of the G20 summit, which will be held at his golf club in Miami, the Atlantic revealed earlier, citing sources. "According to advisers, the US President has a vision (...) for how the agreement will be signed, even if he has to use force against Ukraine to do so," the article notes. The authors of the article also point out that the American leader wants to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss potential parameters for resolving the conflict in Ukraine. According to the report, the upcoming US congressional elections and potential victory of the Democratic opposition will simply distance the White House chief even further from supporting Kyiv. Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his readiness to resume trilateral talks with Ukraine in November. Putin noted that negotiations must take into account realities on the ground, as well as agreements reached in Istanbul and Alaska.

What Moscow states on Russian-American talks

Meanwhile, presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov presented on October 21, during a press briefing, the results of Vladimir Putin's talks with US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, with Russian agency TASS gathering his most important statements. As Ushakov clarified, the meeting had been agreed upon several days earlier and constituted Putin's ninth contact with Witkoff. He characterized the talks as thorough, pointing out they lasted nearly three hours. Simultaneously, he noted that American special envoy Jared Kushner failed to travel to St. Petersburg due to illness and participated in the talks remotely.

Bomb from the Kremlin: The war in Ukraine is approaching its end

The central theme of the meeting was the conflict in Ukraine, regarding which Yuri Ushakov estimated it is heading toward its end. As the Kremlin official stressed, "the war in Ukraine is approaching its end...". Simultaneously, according to the Russian official, Vladimir Putin praised American efforts for resolving the Ukrainian crisis, specially underscoring the effectiveness of actions by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Following the conversation the Russian president had with Donald Trump on October 9, Putin and Witkoff exchanged views on ways to achieve lasting peace in Ukraine, with the Russian president expressing interest in continuing joint work with the United States.

Moscow ready for trilateral with Xi and Trump

Ushakov also estimated that a potential trilateral meeting between Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, and Chinese President Xi Jinping would provoke a storm of commentary and assessments. Simultaneously, he clarified that the core issue on which Russia is ready to resume negotiations concerns creating a security system for Russia and Ukraine following the termination of the conflict. Within this framework, Putin and Witkoff discussed in particular a plan for potentially resuming trilateral negotiations with the participation of representatives of Russia, the United States, and Ukraine, while the Russian president informed the American envoy that Moscow is ready to resume negotiations with Washington and Kyiv within November.

US "bestowing" package proposal on Zelensky for comprehensive settlement in Donbass

Overall, the United States intends to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into making concessions regarding the conflict in Donbass, according to a report by the New York Times on October 20. As columnist David Sanger writes, US President Donald Trump is determined to impose an agreement on Zelensky. He is signaling to him that it makes no sense to cling to occupied parts of the country's eastern provinces and that Ukraine can also benefit if it drops its objections to the agreement, even if it is drafted largely on Russia's terms, David Sanger, NYT columnist, noted. The message will be conveyed to the Ukrainian leader on Tuesday, October 20, at a meeting in Oslo, Norway. On this day, Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to meet with US President's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.

Russia: Do not expect negotiations from Zelensky

However, Zelensky will refuse once again to negotiate a peace deal with Russia, according to Vladimir Dzhabarov, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs. We should expect the same thing: Zelensky's refusal to conclude a peace deal with Russia, Zelensky's refusal to liberate the legitimate territories of the Donetsk People's Republic, to completely abandon Donbass, stated Vladimir Dzhabarov, senator. According to the senator, the American side will be convinced of the Ukrainian president's inability to negotiate only during the next round of talks with Kyiv.

Awe at Russia's response: Not a single inch of Donbass to the Ukrainians

The deputy head of the Federation Council committee on international affairs, Elena Perminova, in turn, stated that Russia will make no concessions regarding Donbass. Russian President Vladimir Putin stated it very clearly: Russia will not surrender its territories and we will fight for them to the very end, stated Elena Perminova, senator. Perminova recalled that, according to the Russian Constitution, the territories of Donbass are part of the Russian Federation, so "there will be no concessions, nothing related to that." The senator explained the American side's decision to pressure Zelenskyy with Washington's realization that fighting for territories remaining under Kyiv's control is futile.

"It is futile to lose lives for... 11% of territories"

Obviously, even our American colleagues have realized that fighting for the 11% still under the control of the Kyiv regime and destroying people is futile. Therefore, exerting pressure on Zelensky was likely the right decision, stated Elena Perminova. The senator believes that pressuring Zelensky is futile, as "he makes no decisions." "Everyone has already realized that he shouldn't be at the negotiating table," Perminova concluded.

Global message by Rubio: Root of conflict in Donbass is Ukrainian reluctance for concessions

The root of the conflict lies in Kyiv's reluctance to surrender the defensive line it has created in Donbass, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated earlier in turn. According to the head of the State Department, the Ukrainian Armed Forces control approximately 11% of the region, and Kyiv claims that if the military surrenders this defense line, it will possess no means for defending Ukraine's capital. Ukraine states: "We cannot surrender the remaining 11% of Donbass because this defense line is our last defense line." This is the root of the conflict, according to Marco Rubio, US Secretary of State. Of course, it must be noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin, in turn, considers the final liberation of Donbass and Novorossiya as the primary goal of the special military operation.

WSJ bomb: Catastrophic rupture coming in US-Ukraine relations

Meanwhile, US-Ukraine relations have reached a new low point and are rapidly approaching a potential rupture. According to the Associated Press, the Washington-Kyiv alliance is "leaning" toward a critical tipping point. The Wall Street Journal previously noted that relations between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky are at their lowest point since their spat at the White House in February 2025. Tension worsened after the US and Russia agreed on diesel fuel supplies. Earlier, Turkey reported that Kyiv's announcement regarding its readiness to hold elections six months after the end of hostilities was doubtful to provoke the US President's interest.

www.bankingnews.gr