Russia refuses to discuss de-escalation in the Black Sea – Zelenskyy

Russia has refused to discuss measures to de-escalate tensions in the Black Sea and halt attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this during his address to participants of the 9th European Political Community Summit.

According to the president, the Ukrainian delegation sought to reach agreements on reducing tensions in the Black Sea and stopping strikes on energy facilities during the negotiations. However, the Russian side said it had no authorization to discuss such steps.

Zelenskyy said the Ukrainian delegation was told in response that the Russian leadership intended to continue striking Ukrainian cities. The president stressed that this indicated Moscow’s lack of willingness to pursue de-escalation.

On November 10–11, trilateral talks between Ukraine, the United States and Russia were held in Abu Dhabi, mediated by the US. This was the first meeting in this format since February 2026. Ukraine’s delegation was led by National Security and Defence Council Secretary Rustem Umerov, while Russia’s delegation was headed by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky.

On November 12, US presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held talks with Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin. The meeting lasted approximately two hours. No official statements were released following the talks, while Witkoff said he would try to persuade Volodymyr Zelenskyy to consider one of the proposed options for ending the war.

Tags: Black Sea region, war, Black Sea grain corridor