Zelenskyy: Peace Talks Hinge On Middle East Tensions

Ukraine leader backs US strikes on Iran as negotiations with Russia face uncertainty

March 1, 2026: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday said the timing and venue of the next round of peace negotiations involving the United States, Russia and Ukraine will depend on security conditions in the Middle East and the presence of “real diplomatic possibilities.” Talks were earlier expected to be held in Abu Dhabi in early March, but escalating tensions following US- and Israel-led strikes on Iran have cast doubt over the plan. Zelenskyy said he would issue fresh instructions to Kyiv’s negotiating team ahead of the next round, without revealing specifics, as diplomatic efforts continue to end Europe’s largest war since 1945.

In a video address, Zelenskyy voiced support for the US strikes on Iran, calling Tehran “an accomplice” of Russian President Vladimir Putin. He accused Iran of supplying thousands of Shahed-type drones used in attacks on Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure, claiming more than 57,000 such drones have been deployed since the war began. While backing Washington’s action, Zelenskyy stressed the need to prevent a broader regional conflict. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has intensified calls for Moscow and Kyiv to strike a peace deal, though recent talks in Geneva yielded no major breakthrough.

Even as diplomacy remains fragile, fighting continues on the ground. Russia said it captured two settlements in Ukraine’s Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia regions, while Ukraine’s state energy firm reported damage to a gas facility following fresh strikes. Moscow also condemned the US-Israeli attacks on Iran as “unprovoked aggression” and urged a return to dialogue, underscoring its complex ties in the Middle East. With battlefield clashes ongoing and geopolitical tensions widening, prospects for a swift peace agreement remain uncertain.