Dublin:Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that he expects US presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to relay Russia's response to ceasefire proposals after their scheduled talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
According to Anadolu Agency – English, Zelenskyy made these remarks during a joint news conference with Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin. He highlighted that discussions on an energy truce and a ceasefire at sea had been part of recent talks in Abu Dhabi, but indicated that the Russian delegation lacked a mandate to address these proposals.
Zelenskyy further mentioned that the talks also involved discussions on a potential prisoner exchange, security guarantees for Ukraine, and preparations for a potential meeting between the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, and the US. On the humanitarian front, he proposed exchanging 1,000 to 1,200 prisoners of war and reiterated Kyiv's 'all-for-all' prisoner exchange proposal, emphasizing the large number of captives on both sides.
He noted that the American envoys' meeting with the Russian leader would address these issues, and he anticipated a response. Zelenskyy is set to meet the US envoys in Dublin following their discussions in Russia.
Zelenskyy underscored the need for Europe to be an equal party in future negotiations, deeming its involvement crucial for a fair settlement. He addressed sensitive issues regarding Ukraine's eastern region of Donbas, dismissing US suggestions for Ukraine to withdraw from the region as "impossible," and stressed that such territorial issues require leader-level talks.
He expressed skepticism about achieving peace before 2027, despite acknowledging a 'window of opportunity.' Zelenskyy emphasized that progress depends on the dialogue format between the US and Russia. His comments followed US-mediated trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi, marking the first direct three-way peace sessions since February's discussions in Geneva.
At the news conference, Kushner mentioned that he and Witkoff would travel to Moscow for talks with Putin to "finalize the numbers" for a prisoner swap agreed upon during the recent negotiations.