On February 24 local time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that he hopes to end the Ukraine crisis in 2025.
During a press conference, when asked about his expectations for Ukraine and its people after three years of the crisis, he said, "I hope it can end this year." He added that these three years have been "very difficult" for the whole country.
He also emphasized that in the short term, Ukraine needs security guarantees to prevent Russia from "returning" in the coming years. He said that joining the EU and NATO as soon as possible would be "very helpful" to Ukraine.
Additionally, at the "Support for Ukraine" summit on the same day, Zelensky proposed that a full exchange of prisoners with Russia could be the start of ending the conflict. He said that a comprehensive exchange of prisoners is a "fair and just" solution.
On February 24, on the third anniversary of the full - scale escalation of the Ukraine crisis, Zelensky chaired the "Support for Ukraine" summit in Kyiv. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel led delegations to attend, and leaders of more than 30 countries participated either online or in person. The meeting discussed issues such as aid to Ukraine, sanctions against Russia, and providing security guarantees for Ukraine.
