Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a Ukrainian delegation led by Presidential Office chief Kyrylo Budanov and National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov is already en route to the United States for talks. A peace plan for Ukraine is expected to be one of the main topics.
Zelensky announced the planned peace talks with the U.S. during a joint media appearance with Czech President Petr Pavel on January 16. He noted that despite everything, the Ukrainian team continues active work with representatives of U.S. President Donald Trump.
“In the coming days, meetings for our Ukrainian representatives in the United States are planned. The Ukrainian delegation is now on its way to the United States. And we hope there will be more clarity both on the documents we have effectively prepared with the American side, and on Russia’s response to all the diplomatic work that has taken place and is ongoing,” the president said.
Zelensky added that Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure speak volumes about the Kremlin’s intentions.
“They’re not interested in agreements, but in the further destruction of Ukraine. And that is precisely why diplomacy is ‘stalling,’” he said.
Zelensky detailed the delegation’s planned meetings in the U.S.
On January 8, Zelensky said that following talks in Paris, the Ukrainian side agreed with U.S. and European negotiators on security guarantees and “basic parameters for ending the war.”
In an interview published January 15, U.S. President Donald Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin is “ready to enter into a peace agreement,” while Ukraine is “less ready.”
Also on January 15, during a meeting with foreign diplomats, Putin said Russia would “consistently pursue its goals” if the Kremlin’s conditions are not accepted.
