Putin-Zelenskyy meeting could unlock breakthrough in peace talks
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha (photo: Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
A breakthrough in peace talks is possible only after Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin meet, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said.
Asked during the interview whether a trilateral meeting between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States remained on the agenda and when it might take place, Sybiha said Kyiv continues to reaffirm its readiness for such a meeting.
"We would like it to happen as soon as possible. We will seize every opportunity, no matter how small, to bring peace closer," the foreign minister noted.
However, he believes the most effective, and right, way to create new momentum in peace efforts would be a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy.
"It could be together with Trump or mediated by President Erdogan. We are signaling that we are ready for this. And we have results to show from such a meeting. At the very least, a ceasefire, an exchange of prisoners of war, and the return of children," Sybiha added.
Ukraine has a set of potential agreements, known as confidence-building measures, that it could announce after negotiations.
The country is working with its partners to secure ceasefires covering energy infrastructure, the sea, the air, and other areas, and must continue to fight for them, Sybiha said.
"We see the consequences of Russia restricting freedom of navigation in the Black Sea. We see concern among our partners, especially in the Global South. They understand the impact on their economies, particularly in terms of global food security, where Ukraine plays a role as one of the world's guarantors of food security," the minister added.
They could reach an initial agreement either at a meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin or at a lower level.
"But if we are talking about new momentum, new prospects, and a new timeline for ending the war, a meeting at the leaders' level is necessary, in my view," the diplomat said.
Lower-level negotiating teams often revisit the same issues, while the president can resolve the most difficult questions once and for all.
Asked about the "creative ideas" sometimes mentioned by negotiators or others involved in the peace process, Sybiha linked them to the fact that the "spirit of Anchorage" had died.
"The '3+2' formula does not work. Ukraine's position is clear: 'Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine.' Ukraine, its people, and its president will not accept any formula that comes at the expense of the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty. So yes, new ideas are needed, taking these geopolitical realities into account," he concluded.
According to the minister, the US team visited Moscow eight times before finally traveling to Kyiv. The team presented several ideas for further development so negotiations could resume at some point.
As previously reported, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine supports an energy ceasefire with Russia. The key is ensuring that Russia also observes it.
Following Trump's decision to resume diesel exports from Russia, talks between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States ended ahead of schedule.
The United States described the talks as productive, although news also emerged at the same time of a diesel deal between Trump and Putin.
