Ukraine ready to hold next round of peace talks in Azerbaijan – Zelenskyy, Aliyev meeting
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed efforts to end the war in Ukraine with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, as well as the possibility of holding the next round of Ukraine-U.S.-Russia negotiations in Azerbaijan.
"We also discussed peace efforts. It is very important for Ukraine that Russia finds the strength to end this unjust war. Of course, we highly value the role of our partners in mediating this process," Zelenskyy said during a joint statement with Aliyev in the city of Gabala, Azerbaijan, on Saturday.
He emphasized that Ukraine is ready for trilateral negotiations. "We had such talks in Turkey; we had such talks with our American partners in Switzerland. Of course, we are ready for the next negotiations in Azerbaijan if Russia is ready for diplomacy," Zelenskyy added.
As reported, on February 26, following a meeting between the Ukrainian negotiating group led by Rustem Umerov and David Arakhamia and U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoys Steven Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Zelenskyy reported growing readiness for the next trilateral meeting, likely in early March in Abu Dhabi (UAE). The last round of talks took place in Geneva, Switzerland, following previous rounds in Abu Dhabi.
On March 2, Zelenskyy clarified that the Ukraine-U.S.-Russia trilateral meeting was tentatively planned for March 5-6 in Abu Dhabi, but due to hostilities, the Ukrainian side could not confirm the location, though the meeting had not been canceled.
On March 5, a source close to the negotiating delegation told Interfax-Ukraine that the next meeting within the trilateral Ukraine-U.S.-Russia negotiations to end the war has been postponed indefinitely.
