US President Donald Trump said in a statement on Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to end the war in Ukraine. Trump told reporters that the timing has not yet been set, but he will meet with Putin soon.
Earlier, Trump had spoken to Putin on the phone on February 17. During this time, there was a discussion between the two about ending the war. The two talked for about an hour and a half. Trump had said that he might meet Putin in Saudi Arabia.
During the talks, Putin also invited Trump to visit Moscow.
Leaders of Ukraine and Russia arrive in UAE
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) late Sunday night, where diplomatic activities are intensifying to end the Russia-Ukraine war and start peace talks.
Apart from Zelensky, Russian Deputy PM Denis Manturov has also arrived in the UAE for a visit.
Manturov met with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The two talked about enhancing the strategic partnership between Russia and the UAE. There is no information about any talks between the two on ending the war in Ukraine.
On the other hand, the agenda of Zelensky’s visit to the UAE has not been announced. The UAE is hosting the International Defense Exhibition and Conference (IDEX). There is an exhibition of weapons from both Russia and Ukraine.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead the delegation.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead a US delegation for direct talks with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia. The dialogue will seek solutions to end the three-year-old Russia-Ukraine war.
The news agency AP has quoted an American official as saying that US National Security Advisor (NSA) Michael Waltz and special envoy Steve Witkoff will also participate in these talks. The planning is currently in the preliminary stages. There is a possibility of changes in the delegation in the coming days.
Zelensky is ready to swap land with Russia
Ukrainian President Zelensky said on February 11 that Ukraine was ready to exchange land with Russia to prevent war. In an interview with the British newspaper The Guardian, Zelensky said that this was possible if Trump succeeded in bringing Russia and Ukraine on one platform.
Zelensky also admitted that he could not have fought the war without American help. He said that some people say that Europe can protect Ukraine even without America. But that is not true. Ukraine’s security is not possible without America.
Ukraine has been occupying Russian territory for 7 months.
Ukraine attacked Russia’s Kursk in August 2024 and captured an area of about 1,300 square kilometers. However, Russia counterattacked and regained about half of the land it lost. However, Zelensky said that Ukraine still occupies a large Russian territory. He will use it to make a deal with Russia.
Zelensky said that we will get our land in exchange for their land. However, he did not say which territory Ukraine would demand in exchange for Russian occupation. In response to this question, Zelensky said that every Ukrainian land is important to him. At present, he has not thought about any specific place.
Russia occupied 5 regions of Ukraine – Crimea in 2014, Donetsk, Kherson, Lugansk and Zaporizhia in 2022.