Zelenskyy: Next round of Ukraine-Russia-US talks to be held in Switzerland

2026-02-19 - 11:32

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Wednesday that the next round of trilateral peace negotiations involving Kyiv, Moscow, and Washington will convene in Switzerland, following the recently concluded third round in Geneva. Speaking to Piers Morgan in an interview published late Wednesday, Zelenskyy described the Swiss talks as "very important" for demonstrating that Europe remains the theater of ongoing conflict—a reality he suggested not everyone fully acknowledges. Diplomatic Track and Military Progress Zelenskyy indicated that Ukraine's negotiating team, led by National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov, would provide a more comprehensive briefing upon returning to Kyiv. He acknowledged that progress on the military front has exceeded that of political dialogue, which remains complicated by divergent positions among all three parties. The Geneva talks followed two earlier rounds in Abu Dhabi (January 23-24 and February 4-5), with the latter producing the first prisoner exchange since October 2025. Security Guarantees and European Involvement The Ukrainian leader emphasized the necessity of robust security guarantees to prevent conflict resurgence, asserting that territorial questions are too sensitive for negotiating teams alone and require leadership-level resolution. "We don't trust the Russians," he stated flatly. Zelenskyy raised the issue of European participation in any post-ceasefire monitoring mission, insisting European representatives must be included in relevant discussions. He also revealed that Washington, possibly with some European involvement, is discussing a "new document" between NATO and Russia, stressing that Ukraine must not be excluded from those talks.