Russian Senator Claims Zelensky Refuses Peace to Avoid Accountability
Quick Look
Russian senator Alexander Voloshin claims Zelensky's office refuses peace decisions to avoid responsibility for actions during the special military operation, citing fears of post-war accountability and delayed elections, while noting US envoys Kushner and Witkoff visited Moscow and Kyiv in early September.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The article references the ongoing special military operation in Ukraine and recent diplomatic visits by US envoys to Moscow and Kyiv in early September 2026.
MOSCOW, September 15. /TASS/. Vladimir Zelensky’s office categorically refuses to make any decisions that could end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine because it seeks to avoid responsibility for its actions during the special military operation, Alexander Voloshin, a Russian senator representing the Donetsk People’s Republic, told TASS.
Jared Kushner, son-in-law of the US president, earlier said that Ukraine is currently unwilling to accept Russia’s terms, although Moscow had defined the boundaries of what it is seeking to achieve through a peace settlement. He said Ukrainian resistance was preventing the United States from finalizing the remaining part of the deal.
"It turns out that Kiev does have an opportunity to end the conflict, but doing so would require decisions that the current Ukrainian authorities categorically refuse to make. The reason is quite clear. For Zelensky and his inner circle, the end of the war would usher in an entirely different political reality. As long as the conflict continues, they can blame their failures on wartime conditions and postpone elections indefinitely. Once the war is over, they will have to answer for corruption and for decisions that cost people their lives," the senator said.
Voloshin added that the hostilities had become a means for the Kiev regime to delay criminal prosecution. "The longer the conflict continues, the longer the current power structure remains in place. Peace may offer Ukraine an opportunity to rebuild, but the country’s interests conflict with those of its current elite," he said.
Visit by US envoys
Kushner and US Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff visited Moscow on September 5, where they were received by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The following day, they met with Zelensky in Kiev. Russian Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov said Putin and US President Donald Trump held a telephone conversation on September 8.
Russia has repeatedly reaffirmed its commitment to resolving the Ukrainian crisis through diplomatic means, while maintaining that the Kiev authorities are not prepared to settle the conflict through negotiations.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Continued diplomatic engagement between US envoys and Russian/Ukrrainian officials will occur in the coming weeks
Likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- What specific decisions is Zelensky's office refusing to make?
- What are the exact terms of Russia's proposed peace settlement?
- What evidence supports the claim of corruption and decisions costing lives?
- Did the US envoys present a specific peace proposal during their visits?
