Zelensky: Putin fears his own nation, not ready for talks without front-line wins

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on September 22, following a meeting with the US president, that Russian leader Vladimir Putin is not ready for peace negotiations because he lacks significant front-line victories to show his own society. Zelensky stated that Putin "does not win on the battlefield, and for him this is a problem." Zelensky explained that Putin fears only his own nation, not Ukrainians, Americans, or others, and needs results to demonstrate to the Russian people. He noted that with tens of thousands of Russian soldiers dying monthly without victories, Putin struggles to justify the war, which is why he resorts to presenting falsehoods as historical facts. Zelensky added he is ready for a trilateral meeting with Trump and Putin at any time, but the Russian leader is not prepared to end the war. He also said Putin's goal extends beyond Donbas to the occupation of all Ukraine, which Russian forces currently cannot achieve.