KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has dispatched an official team to the United States as he works to revive stalled peace discussions aimed at ending Russia’s military campaign against his nation. Meanwhile, a top Russian government official suggested Friday that fresh U.S.-facilitated negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv may happen in the near future.
The three-way discussions, which haven’t achieved any major breakthroughs on critical matters, have been suspended as the Iran conflict has captured global focus.
Zelensky wants to rebuild progress in the diplomatic process and announced Thursday evening that he had dispatched officials to America for what’s anticipated to be a Saturday gathering. The White House has not verified any such meeting.
Russian government spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Moscow will not participate in those discussions. He noted that timing and location for fresh three-party negotiations remain undecided.
“The pause is temporary, we hope it’s temporary regarding the continuation of the trilateral format,” he said.
Western European leaders have consistently criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin over the past year for stalling in diplomatic efforts while attempting to leverage his larger military’s combat advantage and seize additional Ukrainian territory. Russian troops currently occupy almost 20% of Ukraine.
The recent Middle East crisis that started February 28 with Israeli and American attacks on Iran has shifted global focus away from Ukraine’s situation.
Simultaneously, Russia benefits from a temporary American exemption on petroleum sanctions while Ukraine faces severe financial constraints and continues awaiting a 90-billion-euro ($103 billion) loan commitment from the European Union.
Kyiv may also receive fewer sophisticated air defense systems needed to counter Russian aerial bombardments as the Iran conflict depletes available supplies.
Putin is widely anticipated to begin fresh military campaigns as Ukraine’s weather conditions improve, creating additional challenges for Kyiv.
Ukraine has emerged as a major global manufacturer of combat-proven drone defense systems, and Zelensky hopes to offer technical knowledge to Arab Gulf nations facing Iranian Shahed attacks in return for air defense weaponry.
A group of high-ranking Ukrainian representatives has traveled to the Gulf area recently.
“There is an understanding of what new security agreements can be reached with countries in the region,” Zelensky said in an evening address on Thursday.
