Ukraine in February 2026: the most important developments in politics
In Ukraine in February 2026, politics centered on peace talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States. A round in Abu Dhabi on 4 and 5 February was described as productive and included a prisoner exchange of 314 people. On 7 February President Volodymyr Zelensky said the US wanted the war to end by June, and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia had accepted a US proposal. Delegations met in Geneva on 17 and 18 February, the first direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in nearly four years. They ended without a deal. Zelensky called the results insufficient and accused Russia of delaying, while a US envoy spoke of meaningful progress. Territory, especially the Donbas region, remained the main obstacle, and Zelensky rejected territorial concessions. By month end another round was expected in early March, most likely in Abu Dhabi, and Zelensky said he was ready to meet Vladimir Putin. Reports on 28 February said Russia was considering halting talks unless Ukraine ceded territory.
Elections and EU membership were the second theme. Zelensky said on 11 February that Ukraine would not hold elections without a ceasefire, and at the Munich Security Conference on 14 February he said elections could be held two months after a ceasefire. He also asked for a clear 2027 target for EU accession. President Donald Trump urged Kyiv to hold elections in the spring and to make a deal quickly, while Kyiv's mayor said elections during the war would be harmful.
European and international support marked the fourth anniversary of the invasion on 24 February, when European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and other EU leaders travelled to Kyiv and the UK announced a support package. Hungary blocked a 90-billion-euro EU loan and a sanctions package. Russia's intelligence service accused the UK and France of preparing to give Ukraine nuclear weapons, an allegation made without evidence.
A corruption case also drew attention. Ukraine's anti-corruption bureau arrested a former energy minister as he tried to leave the country, and he was charged with money laundering in a scheme of about 100 million dollars.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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