Sergiy Kyslytsya, a senior aide to President Zelenskyy and one of Ukraine's key negotiators, has told NPR that Ukraine currently holds the advantage in its war with Russia, describing it as "a war of the 21st century" in which long-range drone strikes on Russian energy infrastructure are causing fuel shortages and eroding Moscow's military capacity. He said Russia is no longer making meaningful battlefield gains, a claim that carries weight for how peace talks might eventually be shaped, since it suggests Kyiv has little incentive to accept unfavourable terms.

Formal US-mediated negotiations have stalled since early 2026 as the Trump administration's attention shifted to Iran, though Kyslytsya said informal dialogue with American and occasional Russian officials remains "active and ongoing". Ukraine is pushing to freeze the front line where it currently stands without recognising Russian control of occupied territory, rejecting Moscow's "3+2" proposal that would require Kyiv to cede five regions. Russia, which wants full control of Donetsk and claims it could seize it within two to three months, is dismissed by Kyslytsya as overly optimistic; he suggested Putin may eventually be forced back to the table by military pressure, raising the possibility of a Trump-Putin summit later this year.