Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that he hopes negotiations with Russia in Abu Dhabi will proceed in the coming days, despite ongoing strikes in the Middle East.
The United Arab Emirates and its capital, Abu Dhabi, have been hit by Iranian missile and drone attacks since Saturday.
The Emirati capital had previously hosted U.S.-mediated talks to address the situation between Ukraine and Russia. Zelensky confirmed that a new round of negotiations had been scheduled for March 5th–8th.
“The meeting should take place, it is important for us, we support this meeting,” he told reporters.
Zelensky added that alternative venues could be considered due to security concerns. “If there are difficulties with Abu Dhabi because of missiles and drones, then I think we have Turkey, we have Switzerland,” he said. “We will definitely support any of these three venues for the meeting.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow also favors continuing dialogue. “A political and diplomatic settlement remains the preferred approach for Russia,” he stated, when asked whether Russia’s position on the negotiations had changed after U.S.-Israeli talks with Iran.
