Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed hope for the resumption of trilateral negotiations between Ukraine, the United States, and the Russian Federation aimed at ending the war. According to him, Ukraine is ready to participate in negotiations in any format and at any time if it contributes to establishing peace.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Ukraine Open to Negotiations in Any Country Except Russia and Belarus
During a conversation with journalists, Zelensky emphasized that the format and location of the negotiations do not depend on Ukraine. He noted that among the priority venues, Turkey and Middle Eastern countries were previously considered; however, due to the current instability in the region, negotiations are not being held there for now. At the same time, Ukraine is open to meetings in any state except Russia and Belarus.
“Regarding the format: where and when. To be honest, this does not depend on us. We are ready for any format, at any moment. In principle, the priority countries, as we know, have already hosted meetings: Turkey is open, the Middle East – for now, there is a ceasefire there, I think it is safe for everyone,” he said while speaking with journalists.
The President emphasized that yesterday representatives of the negotiating teams from Ukraine and the United States held another exchange of views regarding the possible resumption of the trilateral negotiation process aimed at ending the war.
U.S. Demands and Ukraine’s Position on Donbas
During an interview with Western media, Zelensky reported that technical consultations with the U.S. regarding security issues are ongoing. At the same time, he referred to a statement indicating that the U.S. links the provision of security guarantees to Ukraine with the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donbas. The President stressed that Ukraine is already experiencing a large-scale tragedy, so issues cannot be postponed for later.
Zelensky also pointed out the complexity of the negotiation process due to the fact that the same team of American negotiators – led by Steve Vitkoff and Jared Kushner – is simultaneously engaged in negotiations regarding conflicts in Iran and Ukraine. The President emphasized that the issue of Ukraine should not remain without proper attention and must be addressed in parallel with other international challenges.
It is worth noting that several rounds of trilateral meetings between Ukraine, the U.S., and Russia took place in January-February of this year, but no specific results of these negotiations have been reported. It is known only that on February 5, the parties reached an agreement on the exchange of prisoners of war – the first such case in the last five months.
Due to the escalation of the situation in the Middle East, further trilateral negotiations have been postponed indefinitely. At the same time, Zelensky noted that he does not believe the negotiation process has reached a deadlock.
Earlier, the special representative of the Russian president, Kirill Dmitriev, stated that the Russian side is satisfied with Zelensky’s statements regarding security guarantees. In turn, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied claims about the conditions put forth by Washington. Zelensky responded by stating that he has only disclosed part of the information regarding the negotiation process.