Zelensky hopes for progress toward peace with Russia by year’s end: US approach to Moscow will play a key role

Ukraine aims to make concrete progress in talks to end the war with Russia before the end of this year, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. He emphasized that progress would depend on how the United States conducts its dialogue with Moscow.

Zelensky spoke on Wednesday in Dublin at a joint press conference with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin. His remarks came after two days of negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Abu Dhabi, mediated by the United States, Reuters reported.

The Ukrainian president said that although the country is facing massive attacks, Kyiv would do everything possible to achieve results by the end of the year. He added that much would depend on the format of the talks the American and Russian sides would hold the following day. According to Zelensky, the Americans also seem to want to achieve a result this year, given current developments.

The meetings in Abu Dhabi were the first since February. They ended with an agreement on a significant exchange of prisoners of war, but no major concrete progress toward ending the conflict was announced.

After the talks, US President’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to travel to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin. They will then meet with Zelensky in Dublin.

Kushner described the Abu Dhabi round as a “good first step,” but acknowledged that the sides do not trust each other.

Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia said the talks were difficult because the Russians had arrived with “strict instructions.” Nevertheless, he said that “good momentum” had been created to find a solution by the end of the year.

Russian chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said on state television that, after the meetings, a peace agreement seemed closer. He added that the outcome would depend to a large extent on Ukraine and the position of the United States.