Zelenskyy says US security deal confirms ‘100% ready’ for signing – National
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that the US security clearance document for Ukraine is “100 percent ready” after two days of talks involving representatives of Ukraine, the US and Russia.
Speaking to reporters in Vilnius during his visit to Lithuania, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine is waiting for its partners to set a date for signing, after which the document will go to the US Congress and the Ukrainian parliament for approval.
Zelenskyy reiterated that Ukraine wants membership of the European Union in 2027, calling it a “guarantee of economic security.”
The Ukrainian leader described the talks in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, as possibly the first trilateral format “in a long time” involving not only politicians but also military representatives from all three sides. The talks, which began on Friday and continued on Saturday, were aimed at ending Russia’s nearly four-year offensive.
Zelenskyy acknowledged the fundamental differences between the positions of Ukraine and Russia, affirming local issues as an important sticking point.
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“Our position regarding our territory – the territorial integrity of Ukraine – must be respected,” he said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the Ukraine deal with US President Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner during marathon talks late Thursday. The Kremlin has stressed that in order to reach a peace agreement, Kyiv must withdraw its troops from the eastern areas that Russia has illegally occupied but not fully occupied.
Zelenskyy said the US is trying to find a compromise, but that “all sides must be ready to compromise.”
The negotiators will return to the UAE on February 1 for the next round of talks, according to the US official. The latest talks cover a wide range of military and economic issues and include a possible ceasefire before an agreement, the official said.
There was still no agreement on the final framework for overseeing and operating Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is owned by Russia and is Europe’s largest.
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