Trump, Zelenskyy discuss issues to be addressed during Ukraine talks in Geneva

Zelenskyy says he expects the meeting in Geneva to move the talks to the leaders' level.

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The talks, based on an American plan unveiled at the end of last year, are deadlocked primarily on the fate of the Donbas. (FILE) / AA

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his US counterpart Donald Trump have discussed issues to be addressed during Thursday's bilateral talks in Switzerland, the Ukrainian leader said.

In a statement on X following the phone call, which he said was also attended by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, Zelenskyy said on Wednesday they also discussed preparing for the next trilateral peace talks between Moscow, Kiev, and Washington "at the very beginning of March."

"We expect this meeting to create an opportunity to move talks to the leaders' level. President Trump supports this sequence of steps. This is the only way to resolve all the complex and sensitive issues and finally end the war," Zelenskyy said.

Expressing that both Ukrainian and American teams work "intensively," Zelenskyy said he "thanked them for all their work and for their active involvement in the negotiations and the efforts to end the war."

"We also greatly value the PURL (Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List) initiative. This winter has been the most difficult one for Ukraine, but the missiles for air defense systems that we purchase from the US are helping us get through all these challenges and protect lives," he added.

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Deadlocked talks

Earlier, Zelenskyy announced a bilateral meeting between the US envoys and Ukraine's chief negotiator Rustem Umerov on Thursday, during which, he said, the two countries will discuss the "Prosperity Package" for Ukraine, among other issues.

"I just spoke with Rustem Umerov. Tomorrow, he will meet with American negotiators Witkoff and Kushner," Zelenskyy told journalists, adding Umerov will, for the first time, be accompanied by Economy Minister Oleksii Sobolev.

The talks, based on an American plan unveiled at the end of last year, are deadlocked primarily on the fate of the Donbas, the industrial region in eastern Ukraine that has been the epicentre of the fighting.

Russia is pushing for full control of Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, and has threatened to take it by force if Kiev does not cave at the negotiating table.

But Ukraine has rejected the demand and signalled it would not sign a deal without security guarantees that deter Russia from attacking again.