Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a United States document outlining security guarantees for Ukraine is fully prepared, with Kyiv now awaiting confirmation of the time and location for its signing, as diplomatic efforts to end the war continue.
Speaking on Sunday (Monday AEDT), Zelenskyy indicated that weekend negotiations involving Ukrainian and Russian representatives in Abu Dhabi, alongside U.S. mediators, had yielded some progress, even though no agreement was finalised.
"For us, security guarantees are first and foremost guarantees of security from the United States. The document is 100% ready, and we are waiting for our partners to confirm the date and place when we will sign it," Zelenskyy told a news conference during a visit to Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital.
"The document will then be sent for ratification to the U.S. Congress and the Ukrainian parliament," he said.
The comments come as diplomatic channels remain active nearly four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine triggered the ongoing conflict.
On Friday and Saturday, Ukrainian and Russian negotiators met in Abu Dhabi for their first trilateral talks that included U.S. mediators, focusing on Washington’s proposed framework aimed at ending the war.
Although the discussions did not produce a breakthrough, both Moscow and Kyiv signalled a willingness to continue dialogue.
A U.S. official told reporters immediately after the talks that further discussions were expected next Sunday in Abu Dhabi, suggesting that negotiations remain open.
Zelenskyy characterised the discussions as detailed and complex but pointed to signs of movement. "(In Abu Dhabi) the 20-point (U.S.) plan and problematic issues are being discussed. There were many problematic issues, but now there are fewer," Zelenskyy said.
A central sticking point remains the question of territory. Zelenskyy said Moscow is seeking to pressure Ukraine into relinquishing eastern regions that Russian forces have not been able to fully capture since the start of the invasion.
Kyiv, however, continues to insist that its territorial integrity is non-negotiable.
He drew a sharp distinction between the positions of the two sides. "These are two fundamentally different positions – Ukraine's and Russia's. The Americans are trying to find a compromise," Zelenskyy said, adding that all sides must be prepared to compromise, including the Americans.
The prospective U.S.-backed security guarantees are viewed in Kyiv as a critical element of any durable settlement, intended to deter future aggression and provide long-term assurances beyond the immediate cessation of hostilities.
Zelenskyy’s remarks suggest that at least on the bilateral U.S.–Ukraine track, preparations have advanced to a formalised stage, pending political sign-off and ratification processes in both countries.
At the same time, the broader peace framework remains under negotiation, with multiple contentious issues still on the table.
