‘Counting on meetings’: Zelensky says Kyiv awaiting US response for second round of talks with Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday (Jan 31) said his negotiators were waiting to hear from the US side on further meetings to end the war with Russia. This comes after the first direct trilateral talks were held between the US, Russia, and Ukraine earlier on January 23 in Abu Dhabi as part of US President Donald Trump’s push to end the nearly four-year-long war. Zelensky’s remarks suggest that a second round of talks scheduled to start in Abu Dhabi on Sunday (Feb 1) may have been stalled.

“Ukraine is ready to work in all working formats,” Zelensky said. “It is important that there are results and that the meetings take place. We are counting on meetings next week and are preparing for them.”

Meanwhile, US envoy Steve Witkoff said he had had “productive and constructive” talks with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev in Florida on Saturday (Jan 31).

“Today in Florida, the Russian Special Envoy Kirill Dmitriev held productive and constructive meetings as part of the U.S. mediation effort toward advancing a peaceful resolution of the Ukrainian conflict,” Witkoff posted on X. “We are encouraged by this meeting that Russia is working toward securing peace in Ukraine.”

Last week, negotiators from Ukraine and Russia held their first in-person negotiations in Abu Dhabi. While they had agreed to resume talks on Sunday (Feb 1), Zelensky on Thursday (Jan 29) suggested that the date and venue for the talks could change given escalating tensions between the US and Iran.

Meanwhile, Trump on Friday (Jan 30) said that the Ukrainian and Russian leaders hate each other, making it difficult to reach an agreement.

“Zelensky and Putin hate each other, and it makes it very difficult. But I think we're getting very close to getting a settlement,” he said. However, he added, “I think that we have a good chance of getting it settled.”

Earlier on Thursday (Jan 29), Trump said that he has asked the Russian president to halt attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities as millions were left without heating during an “extreme” cold snap in the country.

“Because of the cold, extreme cold ... I personally asked President Putin not to fire on Kyiv and the cities and towns for a week during this,” Trump told a cabinet meeting at the White House. “They’ve never experienced cold like that. And I personally asked President Putin not to fire into Kyiv and the various towns for a week. And he agreed to do that, and I have to tell you, it was very nice.”