The key facts

  • Zelensky called the two-day US-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi serious and confirmed an agreement on a prisoner exchange
  • He considers it strange that the US and Russia discuss a 'new security architecture' between Europe and Russia
  • According to the president, Ukraine needs air defense interceptor missiles, F-16 fighter jets, ammunition, and support for its power grid ahead of winter

Speech at the Dublin summit

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke at the opening of the European Political Community summit in Dublin, where the central theme of his speech was Europe's role in the negotiation process. He stated that Europe must become a permanent part of the talks between Ukraine and Russia, and confirmed that the recent rounds of discussions were substantive: 'according to our delegation, the talks were serious, not empty.'

Outcomes of the Abu Dhabi talks

The remarks concerned two-day peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, held with US mediation. Zelensky highlighted the agreement reached as a result on a prisoner exchange between Moscow and Kyiv. According to him, security guarantees were discussed extensively at the meeting, and he called on Europe to pay more attention to this issue.

Criticism of the format and requests for assistance

The president expressed disagreement with how the security discussion is being structured: 'When the Americans and the Russians talk about this, it is not only about security guarantees for Ukraine. In essence, it is rather about some new security architecture between Europe and Russia, and such an approach seems strange to us,' the Anadolu agency quoted his speech as saying. Ukraine's priorities, he added, have not changed: the country needs interceptor missiles and air defense missiles — 'I urge you to take this very seriously and help us find these missiles' — as well as F-16 fighter jets, ammunition, and support for the energy infrastructure ahead of winter.