President Volodymyr Zelensky is willing to listen to peace initiatives from China, Brazil, South Africa, and other countries and eventually integrate them into Ukraine's peace formula, Presidential Office chief Andriy Yermak said in an interview with Corriere della Sera published on Oct. 27.
Ukraine will finalize its formula by early November and will be open to incorporating other initiatives by then, Yermak told the Italian newspaper.
"At that point, our proposal will have significant support," he added.
The statement comes as an apparent shift from Zelensky's earlier position. Last month, the president blasted the six-point proposal drafted by Brazil and China as "destructive"
China and Brazil proposed the plan in parallel to Ukraine's ongoing peace efforts based on Zelensky's 10-point peace formula, which includes Russia's withdrawal from Ukraine, the release of captives, restoration of territorial integrity, and more.
The document served as a basis for the global peace summit held in Switzerland in June. Russia was not invited to attend, but Ukrainian officials aim to invite Russian representatives to a second summit to present them with a peace plan developed by Ukraine and international partners.
Asked about the Kremlin's views on Ukraine's peace plan, Yermak said he "doesn't care what the aggressor says."
Russia has not shown interest in participating in the second summit and has dismissed Zelensky's peace formula. Talking to state television on Oct. 25, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he does not plan "any concessions" and that any peace agreement must favor Moscow.
"We will be ready to hold the international conference when we feel strong and supported, also by the Global South, to negotiate with Russia," Yermak commented. He said he is unsure whether the conference will have to be postponed until next year but voiced hope it will be organized "as soon as possible."
Ukraine finds itself in an increasingly difficult position as Russian forces keep advancing in the country's east, and a potential return of Donald Trump to the White House after the Nov. 5 election sparks fears of the U.S. pulling its support.
Yermak said Kyiv is not afraid of the U.S. vote results, proclaiming, "I don't think any American leader wants to facilitate the victory of an autocracy like Russia."
The Presidential Office chief reminded that Zelensky met U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who is the Democratic Party's candidate for the election, as well as Trump, during his visit to the U.S. last month.
"I was there, I won't give details... but I can say that we returned from the United States certain that neither candidate is willing to let Putin win this war and that military support will continue," Yermak said in the interview.
The Ukrainian official was also asked about the supposed centralization of power under the Presidential Office and the dismissals of popular figures like former Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi or ex-Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
"There were very internal considerations, which few know," Yermak said.
"We need colleagues who remain totally available for their work; it is a total physical and moral effort."
Zaluzhnyi was replaced by Oleksandr Syrskyi in February after rumors of a growing rift between the commander and the Presidential Office. Kuleba was dismissed in early September amid a wide-reaching government reshuffle and replaced by Andrii Sybiha, Yermak's former deputy.
Yermak, who has led Zelensky's office since February 2020, has been described as "arguably the most powerful chief of staff in Ukraine's history" and criticized for accumulating power within the Presidential Office.
Owen Racer
