During the interview, Sibiga noted that two key issues remain in the peace process: territorial disputes and control over the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
“To resolve these issues, the president is ready to meet with Putin and discuss these matters,” the minister added.
Sibiga also emphasized that he does not see the need for his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and called for avoiding the creation of “parallel tracks” for negotiations. He noted that the current negotiation groups, which include representatives from the Foreign Ministry, are already considering the parameters for a ceasefire and the verification process for the truce.
The negotiation process has become more active following the recent meeting in Abu Dhabi on January 23-24, where the first trilateral consultations between Ukraine, Russia, and the USA took place. U.S. Special Representative Steve Whitcoff described these consultations as constructive and confirmed the parties' readiness to continue the dialogue, with the next meeting scheduled for February 1.
From the Ukrainian side, the negotiations were assessed as substantive. As Zelensky noted, various military and political aspects related to the possibility of ceasing hostilities were discussed during the consultations. He reported that all points of the 20-point peace plan were worked out, and the number of contentious issues has significantly decreased, although the territorial question remains open.
It is worth recalling that in early September 2025, Vladimir Putin expressed his willingness to meet with Zelensky in Moscow but doubted the feasibility of such a meeting. The Ukrainian president, for his part, rejected the proposal to travel to the Russian capital, suggesting that the meeting be held in Kyiv and pointing out that Putin makes deliberately unfeasible proposals to create the illusion of readiness for dialogue for the USA.
