He confirmed the four-month ultimatum, namely until June 2026, that the US imposed on Russia and Ukraine for ending the war, Volodymyr Zelensky, however fundamental disagreements remain. According to SKAI’s report, and while the US will host delegations of Ukrainians and Russians next week for new talks, the Ukrainian President was adamant regarding discussions about territories. “Ukraine must participate in these,” he emphasized, having already said he will not accept agreements reached without Ukraine’s involvement. It’s worth noting that delegations from the three countries held talks in Abu Dhabi in a series of negotiations, however it’s reported that Russia attacked Ukraine on the night of Friday, February 6, with drones and missiles.
Volodymyr Zelensky: “If there is a free zone…”
“The United States invited for the first time the two teams of Russian and Ukrainian negotiators, probably to Miami, in a week,” he added while taking stock of the talks that took place Wednesday and Thursday in the United Arab Emirates. Ukraine agreed to this new meeting, Zelensky continued.
Donald Trump’s government floated the idea of creating a “free economic zone” in the disputed territories of eastern Ukraine, where neither side exercises military control. “Even if we manage to create a free economic zone, we will need fair and reliable rules,” Zelensky stated. As reported by SKAI, the two warring parties also failed to reach agreement on the issue of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (southern Ukraine), which Moscow has occupied and controlled since the beginning of the invasion.
Massive attack
To exert pressure on Ukraine, the Russian army has multiplied massive strikes on energy infrastructure for months, causing widespread power, water and heating outages, while the country experiences a particularly harsh winter. A new attack was carried out last night with 408 unmanned aircraft and 39 missiles, of which 382 and 24 were shot down respectively, announced the Ukrainian Air Force. The Energy Ministry spoke of “significant damage” caused mainly to energy substations and announced that consequently “nuclear plants were forced to reduce their production” and “emergency power cuts were implemented in most of Ukraine’s regions.”
Private electricity company DTEK also announced “significant damage to thermal power plant equipment,” noting it was the “tenth massive attack” against these facilities since October 2025. “Ukraine confirmed once again its position regarding Donbas. We remain steadfast in our position,” Zelensky also stated. Russia has made control of Ukraine’s eastern regions, Donetsk and Luhansk, a key negotiating point, which its forces have failed to fully capture in battles that began in 2014.
What he requested from France
Volodymyr Zelensky received French Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin in Kyiv on Saturday, February 7. He requested “air defense, military aircraft and joint efforts” from the Europeans. Russian strikes in recent weeks have left hundreds of thousands of people without electricity and heating for hours at a time, in temperatures of 5 degrees Celsius below zero in the morning in the capital, which are expected to drop even further over the weekend to reach 20 degrees Celsius below zero on Monday.
Zelensky also mentioned that his negotiating team provided briefings after this week’s meetings with US and Russian officials, with emphasis on possible post-war security guarantees. “Ukraine needs results, and one of the most important foundations for achieving lasting peace is effective security guarantees,” he stated via X. “Ukraine did not start this war. Russia is the one that must end it.” He further noted that Ukraine will keep European allies “informed about the progress of negotiations.” This statement came as several other Western officials, including a French diplomat and the OSCE chairman based in Vienna, traveled to Moscow.
Trump’s goal
Donald Trump wants to wear the cessation of the war in Ukraine (which on February 24, 2026 marks four years) as a badge ahead of the midterm elections in the United States in fall 2026. “Elections are certainly more important to them. Let’s not be naive,” Zelensky stated. The Ukrainian leader expressed concern that, under this imperative, Trump could strike a deal with Russia, leaving Ukraine out of negotiations about its own status.
