Ukraine foreign minister has called for an acceleration of peace negotiations with Russia, saying the most difficult remaining issues can only be resolved through a direct meeting between the two countries’ leaders—and that only U.S. President Donald Trump has the influence to make a deal possible.
Speaking in Kyiv, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Ukraine wants to build on momentum generated by U.S.-brokered talks and conclude negotiations before political constraints, including upcoming U.S. congressional elections, complicate the process.
“Only Trump can stop the war,” Sybiha said, stressing that Washington’s role remains decisive as negotiations enter a critical phase.
Few Issues Remain, but They Are the Hardest
Sybiha said that out of a 20-point framework guiding recent trilateral discussions between Ukraine, Russia and the United States, only a small number of items remain unresolved. Those issues, he said, are too sensitive to be settled by negotiators alone and require decisions at the presidential level.
Among the main sticking points are territorial disputes. Russia continues to demand that Ukraine cede the remaining parts of the eastern Donetsk region that Moscow has failed to capture militarily—a condition Kyiv has firmly rejected.
Ukraine is also seeking the return of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest nuclear facility, which is currently under Russian control.
A second round of talks held this week in Abu Dhabi failed to produce a breakthrough, although the two sides agreed to exchange 314 prisoners of war—the first such swap since October.
New Talks Proposed as Momentum Builds
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Washington has proposed another round of negotiations in Miami within a week, an offer Kyiv has accepted.
“My assessment is that momentum exists,” Sybiha said. “Now we need to consolidate and intensify these efforts—and Ukraine is ready to move faster.”
Nearly four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, Moscow controls close to 20% of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine seized before the war. Despite heavy fighting, analysts say Russia has gained only marginal additional territory since early 2023.
Zelenskiy has said the United States hopes the war could end before the summer, though no detailed timeline has been made public. Sources familiar with the talks said Ukrainian and U.S. officials have discussed a possible draft agreement by March, followed by a referendum and elections in Ukraine in May.
Security Guarantees Central for Kyiv
Sybiha said Ukraine’s top priority remains securing credible Western guarantees to deter future Russian aggression once a ceasefire is in place.
The United States, he said, has confirmed its readiness to ratify security guarantees through Congress, providing a security “backstop” without deploying American troops on Ukrainian soil.
“I don’t believe any security architecture is viable without the Americans,” Sybiha said. “Their involvement is essential—and that commitment is now taking shape.”
A statement issued after a recent meeting in Paris of a so-called “coalition of the willing” said allied countries would take part in a U.S.-led ceasefire monitoring mechanism, likely relying on drones, satellites and sensors rather than foreign troops.
Sybiha said several countries beyond Britain and France have privately expressed willingness to contribute troops to a deterrence force, but he declined to name them.
Red Lines on Sovereignty
Ukraine also wants additional guarantees similar to NATO’s Article Five principle, under which an attack on one member is treated as an attack on all. Sybiha said Ukraine’s ambition to join the European Union would also strengthen its long-term security.
Zelenskiy has said Kyiv hopes to join the EU by 2027, a goal that would require extensive reforms.
Sybiha raised concerns about bilateral talks between Russia and the United States, saying Kyiv would oppose any arrangements that undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty or are negotiated without its involvement.
He said any recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea or the Donbas region would be “legally void”.
“We will never recognise this,” he said. “This is not just about Ukraine—it is about the principle of international law.”