Ukrainian President Zelenskyy extends invitation to Putin for diplomatic talks

US-Mediated Talks Between Ukraine and Russia Scheduled for Sunday

A meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to take place on Sunday, following a US-mediated discussion in Abu Dhabi last week. The talks are expected to be held at the invitation of Zelenskyy, who has extended an offer to meet with Putin in Kyiv.

According to reports, Zelenskyy has stated that he is open to discussing various formats for the meeting, but has declined invitations from Russia and Belarus. He has also emphasized that Russia’s actions in Ukraine are seen as aggressive, while Belarus is considered a partner in these actions.

The Kremlin had previously invited Zelenskyy to Moscow for peace talks, but received no response. US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that Putin had agreed to a request not to attack Ukraine’s energy infrastructure for a week due to extreme cold weather.

During the Abu Dhabi talks, discussions were held on the issue of a ceasefire on energy infrastructure attacks. Zelenskyy has stated that he expects agreements to be implemented and believes that de-escalation steps can contribute to real progress toward ending the war.

A second round of US-mediated negotiations is scheduled for Sunday, although the date and location may change due to ongoing tensions between the United States and Iran. The talks are expected to address several sticking points, including Russia’s demand for Ukrainian forces to withdraw from a portion of the Donetsk region, as well as the potential deployment of international peacekeepers in Ukraine after the war.

Source: Al Jazeera