Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a U.S. security guarantees document for Ukraine is “100% ready” after two days of talks that included representatives from Ukraine, the United States and Russia. Speaking to journalists in Vilnius during a visit to Lithuania, Zelenskyy said Ukraine is now waiting for its partners to set a signing date.
Zelenskyy said that once the document is signed, it would be sent to the U.S. Congress and Ukraine’s parliament for ratification. He did not announce a signing date while speaking in Vilnius.
The talks he referenced took place in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, and ran over Friday and Saturday (local time). Zelenskyy described them as likely the first trilateral format in “quite a long while” that included not only diplomats but also military representatives from all three sides.
The Abu Dhabi discussions were described as the latest effort aimed at ending Russia’s nearly four-year full-scale invasion. Zelenskyy said there are still fundamental differences between Ukrainian and Russian positions and pointed to territorial issues as a key sticking point.
What Zelenskyy said about territory
Zelenskyy reiterated Ukraine’s stance on territorial integrity, saying Ukraine’s territory must be respected. He made the comments while acknowledging that positions remain far apart despite ongoing talks.
He also said the United States is trying to find a compromise and argued that “all sides must be ready for compromise.” The remarks came as Ukraine and its partners continue to discuss possible pathways toward an agreement.
Next steps and a possible ceasefire
A U.S. official said negotiators will return to the United Arab Emirates on February 1 for another round of talks. The official said the recent discussions covered a broad range of military and economic matters and included the possibility of a ceasefire before a deal.
The same official said there was not yet an agreement on the final framework for oversight and operation of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. The plant is occupied by Russia and is described as the largest in Europe.
EU membership as “economic security”
Zelenskyy also emphasized Ukraine’s push for European Union membership by 2027, describing it as an “economic security guarantee.” He raised that point alongside his comments about the U.S. security guarantees document being ready.
Wider diplomacy around the war
Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed a Ukraine settlement with U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner during marathon talks late Thursday (local time), according to the report. The Kremlin, the report said, insisted that to reach a peace deal, Kyiv must withdraw troops from areas in eastern Ukraine that Russia illegally annexed but has not fully captured.
Zelenskyy’s comments in Vilnius linked the security document to the broader diplomatic track now underway, while also underlining that territorial integrity remains central to Ukraine’s position. He said Ukraine is waiting for partners to set a signing date for the U.S. security guarantees document, after which it would go through ratification in both countries’ legislatures.
