Zelensky announces next Ukraine peace talks likely in United States soon

Friday 06 February 2026 - 16:20

By: Dakir Madiha

Zelensky announces next Ukraine peace talks likely in United States soon

President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed Thursday that the next round of trilateral peace negotiations between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States will probably occur on American soil in the near future. The announcement follows two days of US-mediated talks in the United Arab Emirates that secured a prisoner exchange but yielded no breakthrough toward ending the war.

"What can already be said is that further meetings are planned soon, probably in the United States," Zelensky stated in his evening address on February 5. He noted his negotiating team would deliver a full in-person briefing in Kyiv, as "many aspects cannot be discussed over the phone."

The disclosure came after the second cycle of American-brokered discussions held in Abu Dhabi on February 4 and 5. Rustem Umerov, Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council secretary leading Kyiv's delegation, described the talks as "constructive" and focused on "creating conditions for lasting peace."

Delegates achieved the first prisoner swap between the warring nations in five months. US special envoy Steve Witkoff announced both sides agreed to exchange 314 prisoners of war—157 from each country. Russia's Defense Ministry confirmed the Thursday exchange occurred in Belarus, with freed prisoners boarding buses.

Talks also covered ceasefire implementation methods and hostility monitoring, per an official statement. Separately, the United States and Russia agreed to resume high-level military dialogue for the first time in over four years.

Zelensky reiterated Ukraine's firm red lines, insisting any resolution must not reward Russian aggression. "It's essential this war ends in a way that leaves Russia with no reward for its aggression. That's one of the key principles restoring and guaranteeing true security," he declared. Kyiv remains open to "all working formats that can genuinely bring peace—a reliable, lasting peace depriving Russia of any desire to keep fighting."

The US delegation in Abu Dhabi featured Witkoff, President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, and General Alexus Grynkewich, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe. Russia's team was led by military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov.

Hosting negotiations in the United States would mark heightened direct Washington involvement as the war nears its fourth anniversary on February 24. Major sticking points persist, including Moscow's demand for Ukrainian control over eastern Donbass and security guarantees for Kyiv.