Zelensky says peace talks with Russia postponed until situation with Iran improves

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told his compatriots on Wednesday evening that the ongoing trilateral peace talks between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States to end the war in the country were being put on hold due to the war with Iran.

“For now, because of the situation with Iran, the necessary signals [from the United States] for a trilateral meeting haven't come yet,” Zelensky said in his nightly address to Ukrainians. “But as soon as the security situation and the broader political context allow us to resume the trilateral diplomatic work, it will be done.”

The next round of US-brokered peace talks was originally planned to take place in Abu Dhabi on Thursday. The sudden outbreak of hostilities in the Middle East last week made it very unlikely that the talks could go ahead, however, as the UAE’s airspace has been closed since Friday.

“We continue to engage with the United States practically on a daily basis,” Zelensky said, adding that Ukraine was “ready” for talks when they come.

In an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Serra on Tuesday, the Ukrainian president said that he wanted the planned next round of trilateral peace talks to take place outside the Middle East, suggesting Geneva, the Vatican, or Türkiye as possible alternatives to the UAE.

The news comes after last month’s talks in Geneva ended with little progress, although later reports suggested Russian negotiators had accepted certain US security guarantees for Ukraine.