Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the U.S. security guarantees document is “100% ready” after the latest rounds of talks in the United Arab Emirates.
“For us, security guarantees are first and foremost guarantees of security from the United States. The document is 100% ready,” Zelensky said Sunday at a joint press conference in Vilnius, Lithuania, with the presidents of Lithuania and Poland.
His remarks came after a new round of negotiations in Abu Dhabi, a rare trilateral round of talks featuring both Russian and Ukrainian representatives. Days before, Zelensky met with President Donald Trump in Davos, Switzerland, while his top envoys — Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff — met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow late last week.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that the negotiations will continue next week but did not specify a date or location.
“The meetings covered a range of important issues – primarily military, essential to bringing the war to an end,” Zelensky said on social media. “Complex political matters that remain unresolved were also discussed. The key positions of all parties were analyzed. I outlined the framework for further diplomatic work. Preparations are now underway for new trilateral meetings this week.”
Ukrainian leaders have insisted on getting security guarantees from the U.S. and its European allies to ensure that they would come to Ukraine’s aid should Russia restart the war after a possible ceasefire agreement.
One remaining issue concerns territorial concessions. Russia wants international recognition of the territory in Ukraine that it occupies in eastern Ukraine, as well as areas in that region that it has been unable to conquer militarily.
Witkoff said last week in Davos, “It’s all about the eastern part of our country,” adding, “It’s all about the land.”
“Our position regarding our territory — Ukraine’s territorial integrity — must be respected,” Zelensky said in the press conference.
Russian leaders have largely refused to concede on their demands in the negotiations, in part due to their belief that they can wait out Western support for Ukraine in the long run. They have also dragged out previous rounds of negotiations, with little interest in a deal that amounts to anything less than Ukrainian capitulation and surrender.
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The negotiations come as Russian forces are increasing their attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during the winter, causing power and heat outages in cities across the country. Hundreds of thousands of civilians are facing brutal winter conditions without heat or electricity.
