In recent days, Kyiv received signals from Washington
suggesting the trilateral
Ukraine–U.S.–Russia talks could resume coon, Ukrainian President Volodymyr
Zelenskyy said on March 19.
He expressed concern about the stance Moscow might take at the negotiations, given the U.S. preoccupation with the Iran war.
“It depends on all of us to ensure the Russians do not come to these talks with the sense that their position has significantly strengthened,” the president said.
Zelenskyy pointed to several factors that could affect
Russia’s position:
- Depleted Western stocks of interceptor missiles;
- Hungary’s continued stalling of the 20th package
of EU sanctions;
- White House easing restrictions on the export of Russian oil, helping the Kremlin to finance the war against Ukraine.
He also noted that Hungary is preventing the EU from making
good on its pledge to help sustain Ukraine financially: Budapest is holding up disbursals
under the previously agreed EUR90 billion ($104 billion) Ukraine loan.