Zelenskyy welcomes shift in US approach as Ukraine-Russia talks begin

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has welcomed a noticeable shift in messages from US mediators, speaking after talks with Nordic leaders in Denmark as the first day of US-led trilateral negotiations between Ukraine, Russia, and the US concluded in Abu Dhabi.

"I see changes. I am very happy about what I hear," Zelenskyy told a press conference in Copenhagen after being asked about the evolving diplomatic approach of US presidential envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff.

Zelensky confirmed that negotiators assembled in the United Arab Emirates are concurrently preparing a major prisoner-of-war exchange.

"There is some large-scale exchange being prepared," he told reporters, noting that US officials will travel to Russia to pursue it further.

"I want to do a thousand for a thousand, maybe one and a half thousand for one and a half thousand."

Dispute over European security sequencing

The Abu Dhabi meeting marks the first three-sided talks held since February.

Zelenskyy characterised the opening day as constructive and substantive, but noted that discussions touched upon formulating a new security architecture for Europe—an idea raised earlier on Tuesday by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The Ukrainian leader described the concept as "very difficult" and urged caution, observing that the initiative was originally floated by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2021: "Nobody really understands 100 per cent what they want... nobody saw the documents, what the Americans discussed with the Russians."

Zelenskyy insisted on a strict sequence of priorities before European security is debated: "Everybody is ready for dialogue. First, stop the war in Ukraine. Second, security guarantees for Ukraine. Third, maybe some dialogue about the topic of security in Europe, in the world. This sequence is very, very important."

Earlier, Lavrov stated that Moscow would reject an immediate ceasefire without knowing what follows, arguing it would be wiser to agree on the outlines of a future European security architecture before halting hostilities.

TRT World & Agencies — TRT World & Agencies

Photo: AP