WASHINGTON, October 11. /TASS/. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky is now more open to negotiating with Russia as Ukraine’s position has weakened, The Washington Post (WaPo) reported.

According to the newspaper, Western diplomats "have sensed" that the Ukrainian leader "has become more open to beginning negotiations with Russia, even as Moscow’s forces occupy more than 20% of Ukraine and are unlikely to cede any territory they currently control." Thus, Zelensky has said that "Russia will be invited to the next peace summit that Ukraine plans to organize."

Kiev has signaled the importance of ending the conflict as Russia has gained ground on the battlefield, The Washington Post wrote.

Kiev has repeatedly rejected peace and mediation initiatives from third countries, saying it will only promote the so-called Zelensky formula. In late September, before leaving for a trip to the United States, Zelensky said he had some kind of "plan" to increase pressure on Russia, which he would first present to US leader Joe Biden. Later, Ukrainian Presidential Office Head Andrey Yermak clarified that the "plan" will be presented to the country’s citizens without some "sensitive" details only after it has been shown to Kiev’s Western partners.

On June 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin at a meeting with the Foreign Ministry set out the country’s conditions for settling the situation in Ukraine. Among them are the withdrawal of the Ukrainian armed forces from Donbass and Novorossiya and Kiev’s refusal to join NATO. In addition, Russia wants all Western sanctions against it lifted and demands that Ukraine commit to a non-aligned and nuclear-free status. Kiev rejected the Russian peace plan. Following the launch of Ukraine’s incursion into the borderline region of Kursk on August 6, the Russian leader said it would make no sense to negotiate with a government attacking civilians.