U.S., Ukraine Discuss Postponing Peace Talks With Russia

By Reuters | March 7, 2026

Ukraine and the United States have discussed postponing the next round of trilateral peace talks with Russia "for a while" amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday.

The Abu Dhabi Talks at Risk

New negotiations to end the four-year-old war had been expected to take place in Abu Dhabi before the Gulf hub was targeted by Iranian strikes. The next Ukraine-U.S.-Russia trilateral meeting was planned for the period from March 5 to 9, depending on developments around the world.

"The next Ukraine-U.S.-Russia trilateral meeting was planned for the period from March 5 to 9, depending on developments around the world. Currently, there is another war in the Middle East," Zelensky said on X, citing comments he gave in an interview with Italian network Rai Italia.

"We spoke with the American side, since they are the party inviting Ukraine and Russia to the meeting, about the possibility of changing the location and postponing the meeting for a while due to the war in the Middle East," Zelensky explained.

Prisoner Exchanges Continue

Despite the uncertainty around the peace talks, Ukraine has maintained its commitment to the prisoner exchange program. The two sides recently completed their 72nd prisoner swap in a 200-for-200 format, with 200 Ukrainian POWs returning home.

The Sticking Point: Donetsk Region

"We also repeated our criticism of Moscow's demand that Ukraine withdraw from the remaining 20% of its eastern Donetsk region," Zelensky said. "Why should we leave our own land that we control? He (Russian President Vladimir Putin) has not succeeded on the battlefield. He has no strength."

Russia has said Ukraine needs to give up control of the industrialized region which Russia has been unable to fully conquer, something which Kyiv has refused to do. The issue remains a key stumbling block in talks.

Military Situation Remains Tense

Ukraine's army has made significant territorial gains in recent weeks, retaking more land than it lost for the first time since 2023, according to the Black Bird Group analysis team. However, Russia continues its offensive operations across multiple fronts.

Trump-Zelensky Relations Strained

The talks also come against the backdrop of deteriorating relations between President Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump, who has criticized Kyiv's position and called Zelensky an "obstacle" to peace.