Ukraine Enters Talks with US and Russia “Without Excessive Expectations,” Umerov Says

The US, Ukraine, and Russia launched a new round of trilateral talks with the United States and Russia on February 17, with discussions focused on security and humanitarian issues, Rustem Umerov, Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, said in a statement.

“Today we are beginning another round of negotiations in a trilateral format–Ukraine, the US, Russia,” Umerov wrote, thanking the American side for its continued engagement and Switzerland for hosting the meetings.

Umerov said Ukraine is working within a mandate approved by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and “work constructively, with focus and without excessive expectations. Our task is to promote as much as possible those solutions that can bring about lasting peace,” he stated.

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War in Ukraine

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Delegations from the United States, Ukraine, and Russia have previously held a second round of trilateral peace talks in Abu Dhabi, organized by the United Arab Emirates. Umerov described the discussions as constructive, noting they focused on creating conditions for a lasting peace and advancing efforts to end the war.

Following the negotiations that same day, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War conducted the first exchange of 2026.

On the instructions of President Zelenskyy, 157 Ukrainians—150 military personnel and 7 civilians—were freed from Russian captivity. The group included soldiers from the Navy, Ground Forces, Territorial Defense, Air Force, National Guard, and State Border Guard Service.

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