The US delegation, led by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, and Ukrainian chief negotiator Rustem Umerov left the Hotel des Bergues, where the talks were held, on Thursday evening.
Zelenskyy said in his evening speech that there is now “greater readiness for the next trilateral format.” He added that the likely venue for a future meeting between Ukraine, the United States and Russia is Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates and that Ukraine expects it to take place “in early March,” AFP reported.
“The leaders who decide”
Zelenskyy also announced on social media that he hopes the steps now taken will result in a "leadership-level meeting" - that is, between heads of state and government - which he also discussed in a phone call with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday.
“It is that format that can solve many of the questions,” he wrote on X and continued:
“Ultimately, it is the leaders who decide on key issues, and in the case of Russia – such a personalist regime – this is even more relevant than in other countries.”
In addition to laying the groundwork for a future trilateral gathering, the focus was on a package for Ukraine's reconstruction, among other things.
"Mechanisms for economic support and Ukraine's recovery, instruments for attracting investments and frameworks for long-term cooperation," Umerov summarized Thursday's agenda on X ahead of the meeting.
Humanitarian issues and possible prisoner exchanges were also on the agenda.
“We focus on practical solutions,” Umerov wrote.
Repeated demands
Moscow, meanwhile, struck a more hostile tone. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with Russian state-controlled media that it was too early to talk about any real negotiations:
"Have you heard anything from us about deadlines? We don't have deadlines, we have tasks to accomplish. We will get them done," Lavrov said, according to AFP.
The Kremlin also repeated uncompromising demands to gain full control over parts of eastern Ukraine, such as Donetsk.
Russia thus appeared to close the door to Ukraine's proposal to move the negotiations to a higher level.
