Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the trilateral meeting involving representatives from Ukraine, the USA, and the Russian Federation, dedicated to ending the war, has not yet been agreed upon. According to him, the location for the negotiations remains uncertain due to differing positions from the American and Russian sides.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Negotiations Blocked Due to Disagreements on Meeting Location
After completing his official visit to France, Zelensky told reporters that a trilateral meeting was initially planned for next week. However, according to the president, the date had to be postponed at the request of the American side. The USA insists on holding the negotiations on its own territory, citing the complex security situation related to the war in the Middle East. Russia, for its part, declined to travel to the USA and suggested Turkey or Switzerland as alternatives, but the Americans did not support these options.
“There’s a whole ‘Santa Barbara’ situation with these negotiations – due to the war in the Middle East. The Americans said they are ready for a meeting, but only in America, because of the war, and the security situation prohibits them from leaving the territory of the USA right now,” the president said.
History of Previous Rounds and Achievements
Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized that the Ukrainian delegation confirmed its readiness to arrive in either Miami or Washington, as well as in other proposed cities, including Switzerland, Turkey, or even the United Arab Emirates. According to him, the Ukrainian side is ready for negotiations in any of these locations if the parties agree on the time and place.
In January and February 2026, several rounds of trilateral negotiations took place between Ukraine, the USA, and Russia. Although there were no official reports on specific outcomes from these meetings, after the negotiations on February 5, the parties managed to reach an agreement on the exchange of prisoners of war, which was the first exchange in the last five months.
Additionally, on March 5 and 6, another prisoner exchange took place between Ukraine and Russia, resulting in the return of 500 Ukrainian soldiers. The agreement for this exchange was reached during negotiations in Geneva in February.
The next round of negotiations, which was supposed to take place last week in the capital of the UAE, Abu Dhabi, has been postponed indefinitely due to the escalation in the Middle East. The question of holding the next meeting remains open, and the parties continue to seek a compromise regarding the format and location of the negotiations.