Zelenskyy says freezing front lines is real way to end war

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Fox & Friends on Wednesday that he is ready to freeze the front lines of the Ukraine-Russia war in an effort to bring the long-running conflict to an end. He made the remark after being asked by Brian Kilmeade if he would accept a peace deal that freezes everything the way it is right now, where you still keep 75% or more of your country, regardless of how it started. "Yes, right now, we have to freeze," Zelenskyy responded. "And I think this is [a] real way to end this war. We call it ceasefire or 'stop killing' like President Trump called it." He continued with a clear directive: "Freeze and stop. And, of course, this is the minimum of what we need from Russia today." Then he explained the next steps. "Then, of course, we will go to [the] president and to Europeans, and we'll ask security guarantees."

"This is the most important … not to be afraid," Zelenskyy also said. The stakes are incredibly high for millions of displaced citizens. "We need 9.5 million people [who have] lost their houses, which are abroad, everywhere. We need them to come back to Ukraine just to live and to build their country." Russia has often rejected ceasefire deals with Ukraine, saying they would give Kyiv time to rearm themselves. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said last week, according to the Interfax news agency, that "There will be no ceasefire to bring him back to his senses and pump him full of weapons."

Zelenskyy said on X Wednesday that "Russia strikes our country virtually every hour." The cost is measured in human lives. "Of course, we are not losing this war. But we are losing people. Because of the Russian attacks, we're losing people and time. It's such a pity, because our children don't have a real life and childhood. Not only children, but all people," he wrote in another post. That is why ending the conflict as quickly as possible remains the priority. "I hope that our partners, Americans and Europeans, will help us." He thanked his troops for holding the line. "God bless, our strong soldiers stay strong on the battlefield. It helps me stay strong during any kind of negotiations," Zelenskyy added.

These remarks come at a pivotal moment as President Donald Trump secured the release of Stephen Hubbard from Russia on Wednesday. Hubbard is a retired U.S. teacher who was locked up on charges of fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine. This development follows news that Russian President Vladimir Putin also agreed Wednesday "in principle" to resume trilateral negotiations with the U.S. and Ukraine after Nov. 10, according to Yuri Ushakov, Putin's foreign affairs adviser. Fox News Digital's Alex Nitzberg contributed to this post.