Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed hope for a productive outcome from U.S.-mediated peace talks with Russia scheduled for next week, while as well voicing frustration that Kyiv is consistently asked to make concessions, rather than Moscow. He called on allies to provide “clear security guarantees.”
Speaking at the annual Munich Security Conference on Saturday, February 14, 2026, Zelenskyy said this as U.S. President Donald Trump seeks to broker an agreement to complete the largest war in Europe since 1945.
Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022, has participated in two recent rounds of talks mediated by Washington in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Both sides have described the meetings as constructive, but no major breakthroughs have been achieved.
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All three parties are scheduled to meet again in Geneva, Switzerland, this week. In his address, Zelenskyy stated he hopes the trilateral talks in Geneva will be serious, substantive, and beneficial.
“But to be honest, sometimes it feels like both sides are talking about completely different things. America often returns to the topic of concessions, and too often those concessions are discussed only in the context of Ukraine, not Russia,” he said.
The Ukrainian leader also argued that there would be a greater chance of ending the war if European nations had a seat at the negotiating table, a position that has been opposed by Moscow.
“Europe is practically absent from the negotiating table. I feel that is a big mistake. And Ukraine keeps returning to one simple point. Peace can only be built on clear security guarantees. Where there is no clear security system, war always returns,” Zelenskyy stated.
Among the most contentious issues in the negotiations is Russia’s demand for the full withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the remaining parts of the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine that it currently occupies. Ukraine has rejected a unilateral withdrawal, while also seeking Western security guarantees to prevent Russia from re-launching its invasion should a ceasefire be reached.
Zelenskyy told reporters that the U.S. Has proposed security guarantees lasting 15 years after the war. However, Ukraine is seeking an agreement for 20 years or more.
He said Russian President Vladimir Putin has opposed the deployment of foreign troops in Ukraine. Zelenskyy added that Russia must accept a ceasefire monitoring mission and prisoner of war exchanges, estimating that Russia currently holds around 7,000 Ukrainian soldiers, while Kyiv holds more than 4,000 Russian personnel.
He also acknowledged feeling “a little bit” of pressure from Trump, who on Friday urged him not to miss a “great opportunity” for peace and to “get moving.” Zelenskyy also called for greater action from Ukraine’s allies to pressure Russia to make peace, either through harsher sanctions or increased weapons supplies.
He stated that Trump has the power to force Putin to declare a ceasefire. Ukrainian officials say a ceasefire is necessary to hold a referendum on any peace deal, which would be held concurrently with national elections.
Zelenskyy also expressed surprise at Russia’s decision to replace its delegation to the Geneva talks, viewing it as an indication that Moscow intends to delay an agreement.
The Kremlin said the Russian delegation will be led by Vladimir Medinsky, an advisor to Putin. This represents a change from the negotiations in Abu Dhabi, where the head of military intelligence, Igor Kostyukov, led the Russian side.
Ukrainian officials have criticized Medinsky’s handling of previous talks, accusing him of giving the Ukrainian team history lessons instead of engaging in constructive negotiations.
In his main address at the Munich event, Zelenskyy also denounced Putin as a “war criminal.” He compared the current talks to the Munich Agreement of 1938, when European powers allowed Hitler to take part of Czechoslovakia, only for World War II to break out the following year.
“It would be an illusion to believe that this war can now be reliably ended by dividing Ukraine, just as it was an illusion to believe that sacrificing Czechoslovakia would save Europe from a greater war,” he said.
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