Next round of Russia–Ukraine peace talks set for next week Kremlin confirms

The next round of negotiations aimed at resolving the Russian-Ukrainian conflict is expected to take place next week, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists, according to Russian media. He said the Kremlin would announce the exact date and schedule once they are finalised.

Earlier, sources cited by POLITICO reported that the meeting could be held either in Abu Dhabi or Miami. Unnamed US officials told the publication they believe the talks could yield “some progress.”

A day before Peskov’s remarks, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated that the timing and venue of the next negotiations would not be disclosed until all parties reached an agreement.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview published on February 11 by Bloomberg that the new round of talks is scheduled for February 17–18. According to him, the central issue on the agenda will be a US proposal to establish a free economic zone in Donbas. Zelenskyy noted that neither Kyiv nor Moscow is particularly supportive of the initiative and added that future meetings on conflict settlement could also take place in the United States.

The previous round of negotiations was held in Abu Dhabi on February 4–5. The discussions included US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of Donald Trump. The Russian delegation was headed by Igor Kostyukov, chief of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, while the Ukrainian delegation was led by Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's Presidential Office.

Following the talks, Witkoff described the discussions as “detailed and productive.” He said the Russian and Ukrainian delegations, with US mediation, agreed to exchange 314 prisoners of war.

At the time, the Russian Defence Ministry reported that 157 Russian servicemen had been returned home and the same number of Ukrainian prisoners of war had been transferred to Ukraine. Witkoff added that further progress in negotiations was expected in the coming weeks.

By Tamilla Hasanova