Zelenskiy seeks peace before winter

1/ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called for "meaningful progress" toward peace talks with Russia before winter in interviews aired over the May 31- June 1 weekend. He framed the next six months as a "limited window" for diplomacy, citing a slowdown in Russia's battlefield advances. 2/ Zelenskiy told CBS's "Face the Nation" that Ukraine's position has strengthened, with Russian forces facing heavier losses and slower gains. "We see that their momentum is slowing down," he said, pointing to Kyiv's growing capacity to strike deep into Russian territory. 3/ He urged Europe to co-design any negotiating format, rejecting formats imposed by Moscow or others. "It has to be a joint format between Ukraine and Europe," Zelenskiy said, emphasizing that Russia must demonstrate "genuine willingness" to engage. 4/ Diplomacy isn't decoupled from military action. Zelenskiy explicitly linked talks to "more pressure" on Russia: "We need more pressure on Putin so that he understands that he has to go to the negotiating table." Ukraine has ramped up drone and missile strikes on Russian energy sites this month. 5/ Targets include both military fuel depots and commercial oil refineries. A Modern Diplomacy report detailed strikes on facilities in Siberia and the Urals, disrupting 15% of Russia's refining capacity since May 20. Kyiv says this squeezes Moscow's war funding without hitting civilian power grids. 6/ Russia's response has been sharp. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the strikes "economic terrorism." Separately, Moscow denounced France's seizure of a Russian-linked tanker in the English Channel as "bordering on piracy," signaling no de-escalation on parallel fronts. 7/ Battlefield data backs Zelenskiy's claim of slowed Russian momentum. The Kyiv Post cited Ukrainian General Staff figures showing Russian daily advances dropped to 20 sq km in May from 120 sq km in January. Casualties hit 1,200 per day, per British Ministry of Defence estimates. 8/ Winter looms as a deadline. Freezing conditions from November historically favor Russia's massed infantry tactics and complicate Ukraine's drone operations. Zelenskiy wants progress by October to lock in gains before logistics harden. 9/ No formal talks are scheduled. Zelenskiy said Ukraine is open to indirect contacts via mediators like Turkey or Saudi Arabia, but only if Russia halts advances first. Europe's role: more air defense and long-range weapons to sustain pressure. 10/ Context: Direct talks stalled after Istanbul round in March 2022. Putin demands Ukraine's neutrality and cede four regions; Zelenskiy insists on full withdrawal and reparations. Strikes on energy aim to force concessions without ground concessions.