Kyiv, Ukraine – Ukrainian and American negotiators are continuing discussions in Florida this weekend aimed at reviving peace talks with Russia, according to reports. The meetings come as concerns grow that the war in Ukraine may be overshadowed by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on March 19 that a Ukrainian negotiating team, including Rustem Umierov, Kyrylo Budanov, Davyd Arakhamia, and Sergiy Kyslytsia, was traveling to the United States for the talks. “There has been a pause in the talks, and It’s time to resume them,” Zelenskyy said. “We are doing everything to ensure that the negotiations are genuinely substantive.”
The development underscores the ongoing efforts to find a diplomatic resolution to the conflict, even as fighting continues. The last round of trilateral talks involving Kyiv, Moscow, and Washington took place in Geneva on February 17-18, with a subsequent meeting planned for March 5 in Abu Dhabi ultimately postponed following strikes on Iran.
Meanwhile, Russia has continued its attacks on Ukrainian territory. On the night of March 21, Russia launched a large-scale attack on Ukraine, leaving the town of Slavutych in the Kyiv region without power. The Kyiv region was again struck overnight on March 21-22, damaging private homes, cars, and industrial buildings in the Brovary community, according to Mykola Kalashnyk, head of the Regional Military Administration.
Kalashnyk reported that facades and roofs of two private houses and two cars, as well as one truck, sustained damage. A fire broke out at one of the damaged enterprises but was quickly contained. Fortunately, no casualties were reported. Emergency services are currently documenting the damage and working to restore services.
Last week, six settlements in the Kyiv region were left without heating and gas supply due to a Russian nighttime attack. A strike in the Kyiv region last month resulted in a fire at a private house and injuries to two residents.
The Kremlin stated on Thursday, March 19, that talks between Washington, Moscow, and Kyiv were on a “situational pause” following the start of the war in Iran. However, Ukraine’s president indicated a desire to restart negotiations and create conditions for a “dignified peace.”
