President Zelensky: Ukraine is closer to ending the war with Russia

“I think we are closer to peace than we thought. We are closer to ending the war,” Mr Zelensky said.

In the interview, he urged Washington and other partners to continue supporting Ukraine. The Ukrainian leader said that only from a "strong position" could Ukraine push Russian President Vladimir Putin to "end the war".

Mr. Zelensky arrived in the United States on September 22 to attend sessions at the United Nations General Assembly and called on partners to help achieve "a common victory for a truly just peace."

Washington and its allies have provided a multi-billion-dollar assistance program to Ukraine since the conflict with Russia began, while imposing several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.

For his part, Russian President Putin said that peace talks could only begin if Kiev abandoned the regions it had annexed and abandoned its ambitions to join NATO. Meanwhile, Mr. Zelensky has repeatedly called for the complete withdrawal of Russian troops and the restoration of Ukraine's post-Soviet borders.

Kiev began a cross-border offensive on August 6 into the Kursk region in western Russia, saying the move was partly aimed at preventing Russian forces in the area from making a cross-border incursion into Ukraine.

While Ukraine and the West believe Russia is waging an imperialist war, Moscow sees it as a defensive move against a hostile and aggressive West.