Zelenskyy Awaits Putin’s Answer on Ceasefire After US Envoy Talks
(MENAFN) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday he expects Washington’s envoys to bring back Moscow’s answer on ceasefire proposals once they sit down with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Speaking alongside Irish Taoiseach (prime minister) Micheal Martin at a joint news conference, Zelenskyy said an energy truce and a ceasefire at sea were raised in recent talks in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The Russian delegation, he said, had no mandate to respond. The discussions also touched on a possible prisoner exchange, security guarantees for Ukraine and preparations for a potential three-way summit of the Russian, Ukrainian and US leaders.
On the humanitarian front, Zelenskyy said the sides discussed swapping 1,000 or possibly 1,200 prisoners of war, and he saw no reason for Moscow to refuse. He also restated Kyiv’s call for an “all-for-all” prisoner exchange, noting that thousands of Ukrainians and Russians remain in captivity.
“Nevertheless, we agreed that the American side would meet with the Russian leader and that all these issues would be raised there. Therefore, I expect to receive a response, at the very least,” he said.
Zelenskyy said he will meet US presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Dublin on Thursday, after their talks in Russia. He insisted that Europe must take part as an equal party in future negotiations, calling its involvement essential to a fair settlement.
Donbas demand “impossible,” leader-level talks needed
Zelenskyy said Washington has repeatedly pressed the issue of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, with the US side believing Ukraine should withdraw from it to end the war. He called that demand impossible and said any movement on sensitive territorial questions would require talks between leaders.
He said a “window of opportunity” exists to reach peace before 2027, but that he remains “skeptical.”
“We know who we are dealing with and that the Russian side will not view everything favorably. But is progress possible? Yes,” he said, adding that progress would hinge on the format of dialogue between the US and Russia.
His comments followed two days of US-mediated trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi that began Tuesday. They were the first direct three-way peace sessions since the Geneva talks in February.
At the same news conference, Kushner told reporters that he and Witkoff will travel to Moscow on Thursday for talks with Putin, where they would “finalize the numbers” for a prisoner swap agreed after Tuesday and Wednesday’s negotiations.
Speaking alongside Irish Taoiseach (prime minister) Micheal Martin at a joint news conference, Zelenskyy said an energy truce and a ceasefire at sea were raised in recent talks in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The Russian delegation, he said, had no mandate to respond. The discussions also touched on a possible prisoner exchange, security guarantees for Ukraine and preparations for a potential three-way summit of the Russian, Ukrainian and US leaders.
On the humanitarian front, Zelenskyy said the sides discussed swapping 1,000 or possibly 1,200 prisoners of war, and he saw no reason for Moscow to refuse. He also restated Kyiv’s call for an “all-for-all” prisoner exchange, noting that thousands of Ukrainians and Russians remain in captivity.
“Nevertheless, we agreed that the American side would meet with the Russian leader and that all these issues would be raised there. Therefore, I expect to receive a response, at the very least,” he said.
Zelenskyy said he will meet US presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Dublin on Thursday, after their talks in Russia. He insisted that Europe must take part as an equal party in future negotiations, calling its involvement essential to a fair settlement.
Donbas demand “impossible,” leader-level talks needed
Zelenskyy said Washington has repeatedly pressed the issue of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, with the US side believing Ukraine should withdraw from it to end the war. He called that demand impossible and said any movement on sensitive territorial questions would require talks between leaders.
He said a “window of opportunity” exists to reach peace before 2027, but that he remains “skeptical.”
“We know who we are dealing with and that the Russian side will not view everything favorably. But is progress possible? Yes,” he said, adding that progress would hinge on the format of dialogue between the US and Russia.
His comments followed two days of US-mediated trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi that began Tuesday. They were the first direct three-way peace sessions since the Geneva talks in February.
At the same news conference, Kushner told reporters that he and Witkoff will travel to Moscow on Thursday for talks with Putin, where they would “finalize the numbers” for a prisoner swap agreed after Tuesday and Wednesday’s negotiations.
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