Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is shifting his strategy for ending the war with Russia. He is now looking for a way to hold peace talks without the active involvement of the United States, according to a report from Politico.
The Ukrainian leader has grown more cautious about Washington’s future role in the process. Multiple outlets reported on May 2 that Zelensky is developing a strategy to negotiate without US assistance. He now sees Turkey as the main venue for the next round of discussions with Moscow.
The shift comes as the US-led peace process appears to be stalled. A report from The Kyiv Independent, published on the same day, said US-mediated talks have ground to a halt. In response, Zelensky has stated that Ukraine must be prepared to continue fighting if a deal cannot be reached.
This marks a change from previous months when the US took a leading role. In February, Ukraine and Russia held talks in Geneva. Zelensky later described those discussions as “difficult” and accused Russia of stalling for time.
By mid-April, the trilateral format involving Ukraine, Russia, and the US had run into significant trouble. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated on May 1 that Turkey is ready to host a new round of peace talks. This offer came just one day before reports emerged of Zelensky’s shift in strategy.
Zelensky’s reluctance to rely on Washington has been growing for several weeks. In late April, he publicly criticized US envoys involved in the peace track, saying their approach showed disrespect toward Kyiv.
At the same time, Kyiv has been actively pushing Ankara to take a bigger role. In April, Ukraine formally asked Turkey to help arrange a summit between Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Ukraine is open to holding talks in neutral locations and specifically mentioned Turkey as a preferred site.
Turkey has a history of hosting such negotiations. In 2025, Istanbul held three rounds of direct peace talks involving senior officials from both countries. While those early rounds did not include the leaders directly, they produced large prisoner swaps and draft memorandums.
For Zelensky, the move toward Ankara represents a search for a mediator that both Moscow and Kyiv trust. Russia has said it views the possibility of resuming peace talks in Istanbul “positively.”
For now, no official date has been set for new talks. The Ukrainian presidency has not issued a formal statement confirming the change in strategy. However, the pattern of public statements from Kyiv in April and early May suggests a steady move away from a US-centric peace model.