Zelensky said on Friday Kyiv must do everything possible to end the war next year through talks rather than military force.

“We have to do everything we can to ensure that this war ends next year,” he said in a radio interview, PressTV reported.

“And on our part, through diplomatic routes, to end it. And this, I think, is very important,” he added in the same interview.

Zelensky further added on Saturday he was certain the war with Russia will “end sooner” than it otherwise would have once the US President-elect returns to the White House in January.

He said he had a “constructive exchange” with Trump during a phone call after Trump’s election victory earlier this month.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a statement from the Kremlin on Friday, that any peace deal should acknowledge Russia’s territorial gains and security demands, including that Kyiv renounces its bid to join NATO.

Russia has repeatedly pointed out that it launched its military campaign in Donbas with the objective to stop NATO’s encroachment on its borders.

Trump, who has long been critical of US military aid to Kyiv, repeatedly during his election campaign, had promised to end the war in Ukraine “in a day” without going into specifics about how he intends to achieve the truce.

SD/