The United States is exploring what steps Ukraine and Russia could take to reduce the intensity of the war during the winter.

Axar.az reports, citing local media, that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that at the same time, the possibility of resuming negotiations on a broader peace agreement is also being discussed.

Zelensky believes the weeks before the start of winter could provide an opportunity for diplomacy.

He is convinced that Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin is hoping for another harsh winter to weaken Ukraine. However, he added that Putin “needs Trump” and does not want to anger the US president ahead of the midterm elections in the United States.

“My feeling is that Putin needs Trump. He doesn’t want to disappoint Trump,” Zelensky stressed.

He added that even if Putin does not want to reduce tensions, the Trump administration could put pressure on him to force him to do so.