Ukraine's allies leaning on Zelensky for ways to end the war

Almost 1,000 days since the start of the Russian invasion, Ukraine's allies are pushing President Volodymyr Zelensky to consider new ways to lure Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table, as they seek an end to the fighting.

US President-elect Donald Trump will return to the White House in January, pledging a quick end to the war.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, during a phone call on Nov 15, urged Mr Putin to engage in peace talks.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Nov 17 that he will speak to the Russian leader when the time is right.

Two European officials said there is an increasing recognition that Mr Zelensky will have to compromise with Mr Putin, because it has become clear that neither side can secure a decisive victory.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is the latest Nato member to get in on the discussion. He is set to present his proposal to freeze the conflict on current lines when Group of 20 (G-20) leaders meet in Rio de Janeiro on Nov 18, according to people familiar with his plans.

The sudden clamour for a settlement shows the renewed urgency from Ukraine's allies, who are trying to get ahead of Trump's return and the possibility of drastic cuts in US support.

With North Korean troops entering the fray on the Russian side, there is growing appetite to halt a conflict that has brought destruction to vast tracts of Ukraine, consumed hundreds of billions of dollars in financial aid and foreign weapons, and upended geopolitical relationships in Europe and around the world.

Mr Putin, though, has shown little inclination to consider a truce, despite massive Russian military casualties.