The Ukrainian leader said Kiev and Moscow continue to take “fundamentally different” positions on territorial concessions.
Published January 26, 2026
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said after talks with Russia in Abu Dhabi that the country is “100 percent ready” to sign an agreement on US security.
Speaking at a press conference in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Sunday, President Zelensky said Kiev was ready to send the agreement to the US Congress and Ukraine’s parliament for ratification.
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“For us, security is first and foremost a guarantee of safety from the United States. The document is 100% ready and we are waiting for our partners to confirm the date and place for signing,” President Zelenskiy said.
The Ukrainian leader also emphasized Ukraine’s push to join the European Union by 2027, calling it “economic security.”
Ukrainian and Russian negotiators met in the United Arab Emirates capital on Friday and Saturday to discuss Washington’s framework for ending Moscow’s nearly four-year war.
Although the talks did not result in an agreement, both Moscow and Kiev said they were open to further talks, and further talks were scheduled for next Sunday in Abu Dhabi, a US official told reporters shortly after the talks.
President Zelenskiy said the talks were likely to be the first in a long time in a trilateral format, with the participation of not only diplomats but also representatives of the militaries of all three countries.
The Ukrainian leader acknowledged the fundamental differences between the positions of Ukraine and Russia and reaffirmed that the territorial issue is a major issue.
Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed Ukraine reconciliation with US President Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner during a marathon meeting late Thursday.
The Kremlin has argued that to reach a peace deal, Kiev must withdraw its troops from areas in the east that Russia has illegally annexed but not fully occupied.
President Zelensky said that Russia wants Ukraine to abandon its eastern regions, but Kiev has not changed its position that its territorial integrity must be protected.
“The two positions of Ukraine and Russia are fundamentally different. The United States is trying to find a compromise,” Zelensky said, adding that “all sides must be prepared for compromise.”
