The key facts

  • Zelensky: Ukraine’s security guarantees cannot be determined by the Russian side
  • He urged not to lift sanctions before the leaders’ meeting and not to “buy Russia’s inclination” at such a price
  • The Kremlin is considering holding the talks after November 4; Abu Dhabi and mid-November were previously named

Statement ahead of a possible round of talks

Volodymyr Zelensky outlined the positions Kyiv is not ready to accept at possible talks in an interview with the 1+1 TV channel, released on October 25, — as reported by Kun.uz. The statement came on the eve of possible talks between the delegations of Ukraine, Russia and the US, which may take place in November. “Our security guarantees are our security guarantees. They cannot be determined by the Russian side,” the President of Ukraine said.

Sanctions as a negotiating asset

Zelensky urged partners not to rush into lifting sanctions against Moscow before the meeting of the leaders of Ukraine, the US and Russia. “Sanctions were imposed not for the sake of the possibility of talks, but for the aggression. I told the American delegation as well: when speaking about Russia’s inclination, there is no need to buy it at such a price,” Kun.uz quoted him as saying. In his view, going into a meeting with Vladimir Putin without levers of influence — sanctions, money or frozen assets — would mean weakening Kyiv’s negotiating position. Among the important topics of the next round he also named the organization of a meeting of heads of state, and Ukraine intends to put on the agenda of the November meeting a ceasefire in the energy sector and an end to strikes in the Black Sea.

Timing and venue remain unagreed

Although Ukraine and Russia have declared their readiness to resume direct talks with US mediation, the exact date of the delegations’ meeting has not yet been agreed. Yuri Ushakov, an aide to the President of Russia, said on October 25 that the Kremlin is considering holding the meeting after November 4. Earlier, Moscow named Abu Dhabi as a possible venue and mid-November as an approximate timeframe: this was conveyed to the US special envoy Steve Witkoff at a meeting in St. Petersburg on October 21. According to DW, Zelensky also said that Kyiv will not agree to territorial swaps, a reduction of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, or a neutral status for Ukraine — these constraints complement his position on security guarantees and sanctions.