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Ukraine seeks to postpone next round of trilateral talks with Russia amid middle east events, zelenskiy says
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 5, 2026
3 min readLast updated: March 5, 2026
Quick Summary
Ukraine has asked the U.S. to consider changing the venue and delaying the next trilateral Ukraine–U.S.–Russia talks, originally set for March 5–9, due to escalating conflict in the Middle East, President Zelenskiy announced.
U.S., Ukraine discussed postponing peace talks with Russia, Zelenskiy says
Ukraine Considers Delay and Relocation of Peace Talks Amid Iran Conflict
March 5 (Reuters) - Ukraine spoke to the United States about the possibility of postponing the next round of trilateral talks with Russia "for a while" and changing the location due to the spiraling Iran conflict, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday.
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. Zelenskiy said this week that Kyiv was open to other locations, such as Turkey or Switzerland.
Details of the Planned Trilateral Meeting
"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," Zelenskiy said on X, citing comments he gave in an interview with Italian network Rai Italia.
Discussion with the United States
"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."
Key Issues in the Negotiations
Prisoner Exchange and Territorial Disputes
He added that Ukraine hoped the exchange of prisoners of war agreed in previous meetings would still proceed, and also repeated his criticism of Moscow's demand that Ukraine withdraw from the remaining 20% of its eastern Donetsk region.
Russia's Demands and Ukraine's Response
Russia has said Ukraine needs to give up control of the industrialised 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.
"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," Zelenskiy said.
"He wants us to believe him and simply withdraw from our well-fortified territories."
Recent Developments on the Battlefield
Ukraine's outgunned and outmanned army has retaken territory in recent weeks, gaining more in February than it lost for the first time since 2023, according to the Finland-based Black Bird Group analysis team.
International Involvement and Allegations
Russian-Iranian Relations and Drone Components
Zelenskiy added that Russia might be supplying Iran with electronic components for its Shahed attack drones and called on Kyiv's allies to "share their information" on the matter.
The Kremlin said on Thursday that Iran has not approached Russia for military assistance.
(Reporting by Anna Pruchnicka; editing by Philippa Fletcher)
Key Takeaways
- •Ukraine is in daily contact with the U.S. regarding whether and where to hold the next trilateral meeting amid Middle East tensions (mezha.net)
- •Although the talks were originally scheduled for March 5–6 in Abu Dhabi, alternative locations such as Switzerland, Turkey, or Austria are being explored (yahoo.com)
- •Ukraine emphasizes readiness to resume diplomatic negotiations as soon as the broader security and political situation permits (newsukraine.rbc.ua)
References
Frequently Asked Questions about Ukraine seeks to postpone next round of trilateral talks with Russia amid Middle East events, Zelenskiy says
1Why did Ukraine seek to postpone the next round of trilateral talks with Russia?
Ukraine requested to postpone the talks due to ongoing events and conflict in the Middle East.
2Who confirmed the postponement of the Ukraine–U.S.–Russia trilateral meeting?
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy confirmed the postponement on his official X account.
3What was the original timeframe for the trilateral talks?
The talks were originally planned to take place between March 5 and 9.
4Which countries are involved in the trilateral talks mentioned in the article?
The talks involve Ukraine, the United States, and Russia.
5What factor influenced Ukraine's decision to consider a location change for the talks?
Developments in the Middle East, including another war, influenced Ukraine's decision.
