Zelensky announces Ukraine war talks delayed to Wednesday as US-Russia meeting occurs, with territorial control remaining the key sticking point.
KYIV: A second round of trilateral talks on a US-drafted plan to end the Ukraine war has been delayed to Wednesday, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced.
The talks between Russian, Ukrainian and US officials were originally scheduled for Sunday. Zelensky did not give a reason for the postponement.
“The dates for the next trilateral meetings have been set — February 4 and 5 in Abu Dhabi,” Zelensky said in a post on X.
Neither the Kremlin nor the United States have confirmed the new dates. The announcement followed surprise separate talks between Russian and US officials in Florida.
Among the US officials at that meeting were President Donald Trump’s peace envoy Steve Witkoff and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. “We are encouraged by this meeting that Russia is working toward securing peace in Ukraine,” Witkoff said.
The core dispute remains the issue of territory, with Russia occupying around 20% of Ukraine. Moscow is pushing for full control of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region as part of any deal.
Ukraine has warned that ceding ground will embolden Moscow. Many Ukrainians find the idea of surrendering territory defended for years unconscionable.
The first round of talks on the US plan, held in Abu Dhabi last week, failed to yield a breakthrough. Russian attacks on Ukraine overnight killed at least two people and injured seven others.
Among the attacks was a drone strike on a maternity hospital in Zaporizhzhia that injured two women. Ukraine’s defence minister thanked Elon Musk after the US tycoon said efforts to stop Russia from using Starlink satellites for drone attacks seemed to have worked.
“The first steps are already delivering real results… Thank you for standing with us,” said Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
