Ukraine Urges Acceleration of Peace Talks, Says Only Trump Can Broker Deal

Kyiv's foreign minister says Ukrainian and Russian leaders need to meet in person to hash out remaining issues.

Published on Feb. 8, 2026

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Ukraine's foreign minister Andrii Sybiha has said the Ukrainian and Russian leaders need to meet in person to resolve the remaining issues in peace talks, and that only former U.S. President Donald Trump has the power to broker an agreement to end the four-year-old war. Sybiha said Ukraine wants to accelerate the peace efforts before factors like the U.S. Congressional mid-term elections come into play.

Why it matters

The war in Ukraine has lasted for four years, with Russia occupying nearly a fifth of Ukraine's territory. Ukraine is seeking to capitalize on momentum in the U.S.-brokered peace talks and obtain Western security guarantees to deter future Russian aggression once a ceasefire is in place.

The details

From a 20-point peace plan, only a few items remain outstanding, according to Sybiha, including issues related to land and control over the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Ukraine has refused Russia's demand to cede the remaining 20% of the Donetsk region. The two sides made no breakthrough in the latest round of talks in Abu Dhabi, though a prisoner swap was concluded. Ukraine has agreed to a new round of talks proposed by the U.S. in Miami next week.

  • The latest round of trilateral peace talks took place in Abu Dhabi this week.
  • Ukraine agreed to a new round of talks proposed by the U.S. in Miami in a week.

The players

Andrii Sybiha

Ukraine's foreign minister since 2024 who believes only former U.S. President Donald Trump has the power to broker a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia.

Volodymyr Zelenskiy

The President of Ukraine who has said Ukraine wants to join the European Union by 2027 and has raised concerns about bilateral talks between Russia and the U.S. that could affect Ukraine's sovereignty or security.

Donald Trump

The former U.S. President whom Ukraine's foreign minister believes is the only one who can broker a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia to end the four-year-old war.

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What they’re saying

“Only Trump can stop the war.”

— Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine's Foreign Minister (Reuters)

“We must have them with us - and they are in the process. That's a huge, huge achievement.”

— Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine's Foreign Minister (Reuters)

What’s next

The U.S. has proposed a new round of talks in Miami in a week, which Ukraine has agreed to.

The takeaway

Ukraine is seeking to accelerate the peace process with Russia, believing that only former U.S. President Donald Trump has the power to broker a final deal. The country is also focused on obtaining Western security guarantees to deter future Russian aggression once a ceasefire is in place.