Volodymyr Zelensky has intensified his rhetoric against Vladimir Putin, suggesting the Russian president’s grip on power could weaken as the war drags on and domestic strain inside Russia grows.
In a sharply worded appeal for peace talks, the Ukrainian president warned that prolonged conflict risks accelerating political fatigue within Russia itself, pointing to what he described as mounting “weariness” among elements of the Russian elite and wider public.
His comments came alongside a renewed push for direct negotiations with Mr Putin, with Kyiv proposing neutral venues for a face-to-face meeting aimed at ending the war. The Ukrainian leader argued that the longer the conflict continues, the more pressure will build inside Russia as economic strain, battlefield losses and international isolation accumulate.
“After 26 years, weariness has begun to take its toll,” Mr Zelensky said, in remarks widely interpreted as an attempt to unsettle the Kremlin leadership as much as to advance diplomacy.
He added that history showed prolonged wars often carried political consequences at home, warning that Russia was not insulated from the domestic impact of its military campaign.
The remarks were delivered as Moscow reiterated its long-standing position that any talks must take place on Russian terms, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisting that if Mr Zelensky wished to meet, he could do so in Moscow — a demand Kyiv has repeatedly rejected.
The exchange underscores the widening gap between the two sides even as both publicly maintain an openness to negotiations.
Mr Zelensky also used the moment to highlight what he described as growing pressures inside Russia, including economic strain and the cumulative toll of casualties sustained during the conflict. Ukrainian officials have consistently argued that the war is increasingly affecting everyday life within Russia, from energy markets to labour shortages.
Mr Putin, speaking at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, dismissed Western assessments of Russia’s prospects and insisted the country remained stable despite sanctions and battlefield setbacks. He also reiterated that he remained constitutionally eligible to run for office again in 2030.
The Russian president brushed aside suggestions of domestic vulnerability, presenting the war instead as part of a wider confrontation with the West and insisting that Russia’s objectives in Ukraine remained unchanged.
Meanwhile, fighting continued on multiple fronts, with reports of renewed strikes in eastern and southern Ukraine as well as Ukrainian drone attacks on infrastructure in occupied territories.
The latest exchange of rhetoric highlights the increasingly psychological dimension of the conflict, as both leaders seek to project strength not only on the battlefield but within their respective domestic political systems.
For now, however, the diplomatic positions remain unchanged: Kyiv is pressing for talks without preconditions, while Moscow continues to insist on terms that remain unacceptable to Ukraine.
The war, now in its fifth year, shows no sign of moving closer to resolution.
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