Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the second round of trilateral talks involving Russia, Ukraine, and the United States has been postponed until Wednesday, instead of taking place on Sunday as initially planned.
The discussions focus on a U.S.-drafted plan aimed at ending the nearly four-year-long war in Ukraine. Zelensky did not provide further details regarding the reason for the delay.
The announcement came one day after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoys held unannounced meetings with U.S. officials in Florida, without the participation of Ukraine.
“The dates for the next trilateral meetings have been set — February 4 and 5 in Abu Dhabi,” Zelensky said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Neither the United States nor the Kremlin has officially confirmed the new dates.
Stalled Negotiations and Territorial Disputes
The United States has stated that it is close to mediating an agreement to end the conflict, described as the deadliest war in Europe since World War II. However, major disagreements remain between Moscow and Kyiv, particularly over territorial issues.
Russia, which currently occupies around 20% of Ukrainian territory, is demanding that full control of the Donetsk region be included in any peace agreement. Moscow has warned that it may seize the region by force if negotiations fail.
Ukraine, meanwhile, insists that conceding territory would only embolden Russia, and has made clear that it will not sign any agreement that fails to prevent future Russian aggression.
Public Opposition and Human Cost
Many Ukrainians strongly oppose the idea of territorial concessions, arguing that thousands of soldiers have died defending these regions since the war began.
The first round of talks on the U.S. peace proposal, held in Abu Dhabi last weekend, failed to produce any concrete results.
The war began on February 24, 2022, when Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, which President Putin continues to describe as a “special military operation” aimed at demilitarizing the country.
Western nations have responded with sweeping sanctions against Russia, while the conflict has resulted in thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions of people.
