Kyiv Ready for Talks ‘Next Week’ with US over Russia Proposals: Zelensky

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday his negotiators were waiting to hear from the United States on further meetings about ending the war with Russia.

Zelensky’s remarks in his evening address appeared to suggest that a second round of talks scheduled to start in Abu Dhabi on Sunday between US, Russian and Ukrainian officials on ending the fighting had been postponed.

“Ukraine is ready to work in all working formats,” said Zelensky.

“It is important that there are results and that the meetings take place. We are counting on meetings next week and are preparing for them.”

Zelensky was speaking as US envoy Steve Witkoff said he had had “productive and constructive” talks with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev in Florida on Saturday.

“Today in Florida, the Russian Special Envoy Kirill Dmitriev held productive and constructive meetings as part of the U.S. mediation effort toward advancing a peaceful resolution of the Ukrainian conflict,” Witkoff posted on X.

“We are encouraged by this meeting that Russia is working toward securing peace in Ukraine,” he added.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and White House Senior Advisor Josh Gruenbaum also attended the talks, he said.

Neither side released details of what was discussed.

Teams from Ukraine and Russia met Friday and Saturday last week in Abu Dhabi in their first in-person negotiations on a plan being pushed by President Donald Trump to end the war.

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They had agreed to resume talks there on Sunday.

On Thursday however, Zelensky suggested that the date and venue could change given the current tensions between Washington and Tehran.

The US says both sides are close to a deal, but they have so far been unable to find a compromise on the key issue of territory in a post-war settlement, according to Kyiv.