Ukraine is seeking to move peace negotiations beyond the dispute over Russian-occupied territories and secure a broader agreement that would establish future security guarantees for Kyiv and Europe. Resuming trilateral talks with the United States and Russia could be a first step, but the prospects for an agreement remain uncertain as Moscow continues to demand the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donbas.
“The most alarming development over the past six months is that the war has begun to control the parties involved, rather than the other way around. A way must be found to bring the situation back under control.”
This assessment, offered by one of those involved in organizing negotiations to end the Russo-Ukrainian war, sums up the challenge facing Kyiv’s diplomats, Ukrainska Pravda writes.
The fighting has reached such a scale that both the warring states and their allies, who are not directly involved in the clashes on the front lines, increasingly find themselves reacting to military developments rather than shaping them.
As a new diplomatic chapter opens, Ukraine is seeking to change this dynamic.
The previous round of negotiations, held in the first half of 2026, focused largely on a proposal informally known as “Donnyland”—a demilitarized zone in the Donbas.
According to a senior Ukrainian official, the talks ultimately stalled over a symbolic but crucial issue: who would control the territory and which flag would fly there.
“Everyone was trying to find solutions for the withdrawal of troops, the administration of the area, and American involvement in managing it. But when it came to the question of which flag would fly over the entry point to the area, Putin said it had to be the Russian flag. Our side replied that it would be better if it weren’t the Russian flag. And the whole process fell apart over that issue,” the official said.
Kyiv is now seeking more than just the resumption of trilateral talks previously blocked by Russia.
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