Today at 16:31
U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that his administration is engaged in negotiations with Ukraine, Russia, and other parties.
“We have been dealing with Ukraine and Russia. We have scheduled meetings and discussions with various parties, including Ukraine and Russia. I think the talks are going well,” Trump told journalists late on February 2, as reported by RFE/RL.
A few hours earlier, Trump’s special representative for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, warned that both sides would have to make concessions if they hoped to reach a settlement to the war.
“President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has already signaled that he will soften his stance on territories,” Kellogg stated. “And [Russian ruler Vladimir] Putin will also have to soften his positions.”
“In time, we will have discussions with everyone, likely in the near future,” Kellogg added. “And that is good for both sides.”
The day before, Zelenskyy warned that excluding Kyiv from U.S.-Russia negotiations on the war in Ukraine would be “very dangerous.” He emphasized that the U.S., Ukraine, Russia, and EU representatives must be at the negotiation table.
Previously, Zelenskyy stated that any security guarantees for Ukraine must involve the U.S. to be effective.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that reaching a ceasefire agreement in Ukraine would require concessions from both Moscow and Kyiv. He suggested that Ukraine might have to abandon its goal of reclaiming all territory occupied by Russia over the past decade.
However, Zelenskyy reaffirmed that Ukraine would not agree to any compromise that involved recognizing occupied territories as part of Russia, even under pressure from all its allies.
Read also: Bloomberg: UK to Concede to EU in Talks on Resetting Relations
