Particle.news

Zelensky Rejects Land Trade in Talks, Says Russia Lacks Forces for March Offensive

Kyiv signals readiness to shift to other diplomatic formats should negotiations collapse.

Overview

  • President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said negotiations do not include swapping small border areas in Sumy or Kharkiv for control over Donbas.
  • Ukraine says it obtained Russian planning documents for 2025–2027 and assesses that Moscow cannot carry out the March offensive as mapped.
  • The U.S.-mediated trilateral meeting remains unconfirmed in Abu Dhabi due to regional hostilities, with Zelenskyy pointing to Türkiye or Switzerland as potential alternatives.
  • Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Moscow views a political and diplomatic settlement as the best option and remains open to peaceful methods.
  • Bloomberg has reported, citing unnamed sources, that Russia may withdraw from the talks if Ukraine refuses to pull its forces from the entire Donbas.