Bild: Zelensky intends to propose a cease-fire "in certain areas"

The plan of Vladimir Zelensky, which he intends to present during his visit to the United States, includes, among other things, Kiev's readiness to agree to a local ceasefire "in certain areas" and a temporary freezing of the conflict, Bild writes, citing unnamed sources.

Zelensky had previously said that he would present Ukraine's "victory plan" to US President Joe Biden and presidential candidates — Vice President, Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump. On September 13, he said that we are talking about a "system of interconnected solutions" that will allow Ukraine to "put this war on the path leading to peace." As for the idea of a ceasefire, the Ukrainian leader has repeatedly rejected it, stating that a pause would benefit only Russia.

According to Bild, at the meeting Zelensky will also voice a demand to allow Ukraine to hit Russia with long-range Western weapons. Military expert Carlo Masala from The University of the Bundeswehr in Munich believes that the Ukrainian president "wants to put everything on the same card and try to achieve a turning point on the battlefield."

Discussions about the use by Ukraine of British Storm Shadow missiles and American ATASMS intensified after the visit to Kiev of American Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and British Foreign Minister David Lammy on September 11. Shortly after, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with Biden in Washington, but no decision was made to lift restrictions for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the use of long-range Western weapons to attack Russia "will mean that NATO countries, the United States, European countries are at war with Russia," and warned that the authorities will make decisions based on the threats created in this way. Starmer, responding to his words, said that Britain is not looking for a conflict with Russia, "but they started this conflict, and we have Ukraine has the right to self-defense." The US White House took the statements of the Russian president seriously, but added that they were acting on the basis of "their own calculations."

Ukraine is already striking deep into Russia with Western weapons, Kirill Budanov, head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine, said in early summer*. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in May that American weapons were already being used for strikes outside the combat zone. According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukraine's strikes with Western weapons on Russian territory are "close to aggression."

During the invasion of the Kursk region, the Ukrainian military used British Challenger 2 tanks, Sky News reported. Dmitry Polyansky, Russia's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, also spoke about the use of Western weapons in the Kursk border area. The Russian Defense Ministry has repeatedly reported attempts to attack Crimea with British Storm Shadow missiles. Belgorod was hit by a Czech-made RM-70 Vampire multiple launch rocket system.

Speaking about the idea of peace talks, the Russian authorities have repeatedly stated that they did not abandon them, but after the attack on the Kursk region, Putin said that first you need to "deal with these bandits who got into the territory of the Russian Federation." Earlier, he said that Russia could not be the first to agree to a cease-fire, because it was not sure that Ukraine would do the same.

In June, Putin proposed the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the DPR, LPR, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, the recognition of these regions and Crimea as part of Russia, Ukraine's refusal to join NATO and the lifting of sanctions for a ceasefire and the start of negotiations. Zelensky considered this initiative an ultimatum. Ukraine puts forward its own conditions, which Russia considers unacceptable, RIA Novosti reminds.

*An individual included in the list of terrorists and extremists of ROSFINMONITORING