During his speech, Sibiga noted that currently the two most problematic aspects in the peace process are territorial issues and control over the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
“To resolve them, the president is ready to negotiate with Putin,” he added.
The Foreign Minister also emphasized that he does not see the need for a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and opposed the creation of “parallel tracks” in the negotiations. He noted that currently, formed teams are working, which include representatives from the Foreign Ministry who have already discussed the conditions for a ceasefire and the monitoring process of the truce.
The activation of the negotiation process occurred after trilateral consultations held on January 23-24 in Abu Dhabi, where Ukraine, Russia, and the USA conducted their first discussions. The special representative of the US president, Steve Witkoff, characterized them as constructive and confirmed the parties' readiness to continue the dialogue, scheduling the next meeting for February 1.
The Ukrainian side assessed the negotiations as substantive. As Zelensky noted, a wide range of issues concerning the cessation of hostilities was discussed during the consultations. According to him, the parties worked through all points of the 20-point peace plan, and the number of disputed points has significantly decreased, although the territorial issue remains open.
Earlier, in early September 2025, Putin expressed his willingness to meet with Zelensky in Moscow but doubted the feasibility of such a meeting. In response, the Ukrainian president declined the trip to the Russian capital, suggesting that negotiations be held in Kyiv and stating that Putin, by putting forward unachievable proposals, aims to create the appearance of readiness for dialogue before the United States.
