“Time to resume them”: Ukraine sends senior delegation to US after pause in peace talks

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s negotiating team is already en route to the United States, with a new round of talks expected to take place this Saturday after a recent pause in dialogue.

In his evening address on 19 March, Zelenskyy said Kyiv had received signals from Washington indicating readiness to resume discussions on ending Russia’s war. “There has been a pause in the talks, and it is time to resume them,” he said.

Zelenskyy pushes for a "dignified peace"

According to the president, the Ukrainian delegation includes senior political and security officials, among them Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov, lawmaker Davyd Arakhamiia, and diplomat Sergiy Kyslytsya.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s priority in the talks is to “create the conditions for a dignified peace,” adding that Kyiv is working to ensure the negotiations are substantive. 

It remains unclear whether Russia will take part in the upcoming meeting.

Gulf diplomacy and the Middle East shadow over the talks

The announcement comes amid broader diplomatic activity, including Umerov’s recent visit to Gulf countries, where he discussed potential new security agreements and cooperation, particularly in air defense. Zelenskyy said Ukrainian expert teams are already working in the region to counter Iranian-designed Shahed drones.

He also linked the upcoming talks to a wider geopolitical context, pointing to escalating tensions in the Middle East and warning that attacks on energy infrastructure and shipping routes threaten global stability. 

Zelenskyy drew parallels between Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy system and recent Iranian attacks in the Gulf, arguing that both require coordinated international responses.

Zelenskyy returns from London and Madrid with deals

The president’s remarks follow his visits to the United Kingdom and Spain, where Ukraine secured new defense agreements focused on weapons production and broader societal support.

Zelenskyy also said Ukraine is counting on continued financial backing from Europe, including a previously agreed €90 billion support package over two years, which he described as critical for economic stability and preparations for the next winter heating season.

The expected meeting in the United States would mark the latest attempt to revive negotiations on ending Russia’s full-scale invasion, as Kyiv continues to push for terms it says would ensure a lasting and just peace.