Despite continued aggression, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy remains open to direct negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, expressing a willingness to discuss critical issues including territorial disputes and the security of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. The offer, reported January 29, comes as international diplomatic efforts – including recent talks in Abu Dhabi – attempt to find a path toward de-escalation, though Moscow has so far signaled no reciprocal interest in a meeting. This development signals a potential, though cautiously optimistic, shift in Kyiv’s strategy as the conflict nears its second anniversary.
Vladimirs Putins un Volodirims Zelenskis
Foto. Scanpix/LETA/Gavriil GRIGOROV and Nhac NGUYEN / various sources / AFP)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed his willingness to meet directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss critical issues related to the ongoing conflict. However, Moscow has so far shown no interest in such a meeting, according to reports from international media.
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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga announced this during an online meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council, according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry.
Addressing peace efforts and recent talks in Abu Dhabi, Sybiga noted that Ukraine views them as a continuation of cooperation with the United States and diplomatic initiatives that gained new momentum last autumn. Kyiv is currently working with Washington to prepare the next round of trilateral talks in the near future, he added.
Zelenskyy is prepared to meet with Putin to discuss the most sensitive issues – primarily territory and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. The Kremlin’s public response has once again demonstrated Putin’s unwillingness to halt aggression, the minister emphasized. This willingness to engage in direct talks, despite the ongoing conflict, signals a potential shift in Ukraine’s diplomatic strategy.
Sybiga also pointed out that, in the current geopolitical reality, only the United States and President Donald Trump have the real leverage to force Moscow to end the war.
He stated that Russia has failed to achieve significant gains on the battlefield and that losses among its occupying forces continue to mount. Ukraine’s goal is to reduce Russian losses to 50,000 soldiers per month, which, according to the minister, could compel the Kremlin to reconsider its plans.
Meanwhile, Lavrov stated that Russia will only agree to international security guarantees for a Ukraine that is friendly to Moscow.
Russian officials stated they are unaware of any agreements reached between the U.S. and Ukraine regarding security guarantees, Lavrov said in Moscow.
However, “if the goal is to preserve the regime in part of the former Ukrainian territory and to continue using this regime as a foothold for threats against Russia, then… such guarantees are unlikely to ensure a reliable peace,” the long-serving foreign minister said.
He indicated that Moscow is open to an agreement on collective security in the region that would also include Russia’s security.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced that an agreement on U.S. security guarantees for his country is ready. Lavrov was primarily responding to statements made by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Blinken reported that an agreement on U.S. contributions has been reached, but added that everything depends on how Russia reacts. He added that security guarantees could only be applied after hostilities cease.
On Wednesday, Rubio outlined Trump administration concerns about security guarantees in the U.S. Senate. He said that a European military presence on the ground is planned, but since Europeans are too weak, they need strong support from the United States. This would mean that “we would potentially have an obligation in further conflict,” Rubio explained.
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