Zelensky says he is encouraged by US signals on ending Russia-Ukraine war: 'I see changes'

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensk was addressing journalists after a day of talks with Nordic leaders in Denmark. (AFP)Zelensky was addressing journalists after a day of talks with Nordic leaders in Denmark, as a first day of US-led trilateral discussions between Ukraine, Russia and the US wrapped up in Abu Dhabi.

"I see changes. I am very happy about what I hear," Zelensky said when asked about the recent messages by US presidential envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff. Zelensky has been careful to smooth over what has often been a volatile relationship with US President Donald Trump, particularly after a February 2025 Oval ​Office meeting during which Trump accused him of being ungrateful.

Also read | House set to vote on Pete Hegseth impeachment resolution today, says Thomas Massie The talks in Abu Dhabi are the first three-sided discussions to be held since February. Zelensky described the first day as constructive and substantive.

Later, in his latest comments to journalists, Zelensky said the agenda of the talks in Abu Dhabi had included formulating a new security architecture for Europe, an idea raised earlier on Tuesday by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Zelensky said the notion was "very difficult". "We are all very cautious with this topic because nobody really understands 100% what they want. I think we understand, but nobody saw the documents, what the Americans discussed with the Russians," Zelensky said.

He said the idea was first raised by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2021 and the administration of President Joe Biden at the time was cautious about it as the sequence of what had to be done first was important. Also read | Zelensky, Rubio hail Russia-Ukraine talks in Abu Dhabi as ‘constructive, very productive’ "Everybody is ready for dialogue.

First, stop the war in Ukraine. Second, security guarantees for Ukraine. Third, maybe some dialogue about the topic of security in Europe, in the world," Zelensky said. "This sequence is very, very important in this case." Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had said Moscow would not agree to an immediate ceasefire without knowing what would happen next.

He said it would be wiser to discuss the outlines of the future security architecture in Europe first, and then a ceasefire in Ukraine.