Ukraine is ready for new US-backed peace talks "at any moment" but its partners' attention is currently focused on the Iran conflict, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says, adding that the United States has asked to postpone an upcoming meeting.
Writing on X, Zelenskiy said Russia was trying to manipulate the conflict in its favour and aiming to turn Iran's strikes on its neighbours and US bases into "a second front of Russia's war against Ukraine".
"At the moment, the partners' priority and all attention are focused on the situation around Iran," he posted on X after meeting the Ukrainian negotiating team.
"However, Ukraine is ready for a meeting at any moment, in a format that can help and that will be realistic in terms of ending the war," Zelenskiy said.
He said he had instructed the team to inform the US negotiators that Ukraine was ready for joint work with the US in protection against drone strikes.
Ukraine has offered its experience in countering drones to US forces in the Gulf.
Turning to talks with Russia, he said: "We see that the Russians are now trying to manipulate the situation in the Middle East and the Gulf region in favour of their aggression, and also to effectively turn the Iranian regime's strikes against its neighbors and American bases into a second front of Russia's war against Ukraine and, more broadly, against the entire West."
Zelenskiy's office earlier denied press reports about a possible meeting in Istanbul on Wednesday between Ukrainian, Russian and US delegations.
Last week, talks planned in Abu Dhabi between Ukraine and Russia under US mediation were postponed due to security concerns.
with DPA
