UKRAINE PEACE TALKS POSTPONED AFTER MEETINGS BETWEEN RUSSIA AND U.S.(PHOTO).

 Ukraine peace talks postponed after meetings between Russia and U.S

A second round of trilateral talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine has been delayed by several days following a surprise weekend meeting between Russian and U.S. officials in Florida.

The negotiations, involving representatives from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States, had been scheduled for Sunday in Abu Dhabi, the UAE’s capital. Early Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on social media that the talks would instead take place on Wednesday and Thursday. The reason for the postponement remains unclear. On Saturday, Steve Witkoff, former President Trump’s special envoy, met in Florida with Kirill Dmitriev, the Kremlin’s special envoy and head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund. Neither side released details, though Witkoff called the discussion “productive and constructive,” emphasizing that Ukraine was not present.

Zelensky noted that Ukrainian officials have been in regular contact with U.S. representatives and are waiting for further guidance on the schedule. “We are counting on meetings next week and are preparing for them,” he said.

The first round of trilateral talks took place Jan. 23–24 in Abu Dhabi and was described by Kyiv, Moscow, and Washington as “constructive,” an unusually positive assessment given the difficulty of convening negotiators from Ukraine and Russia. Despite this, major obstacles remain. The three parties have yet to reach an agreement on key issues, including the status of Ukrainian-controlled territory in the Donetsk region and the security guarantees Ukraine would require to prevent future attacks.

The upcoming discussions are expected to focus on a U.S.-backed 20-point peace plan outlining territorial arrangements, security assurances, and reconstruction efforts. Russia currently occupies roughly 20 percent of eastern and southern Ukraine, including almost all of Luhansk and 80 percent of Donetsk. Moscow has repeatedly demanded full control of the Donbas region, a demand Zelensky has rejected, leaving about 190,000 people living in Ukrainian-held parts of Donetsk. The United States has proposed converting the disputed area into a demilitarized zone, though the question of who would manage it remains unresolved.

Some progress has been made on security guarantees. On Jan. 25, Zelensky said a U.S. security agreement for Ukraine was “100 percent ready” to be signed, although the details remain undisclosed. While Kyiv and Washington support the plan, Russia has not indicated any willingness to accept it, continuing to publicly press for its long-standing objectives.