Ukrainian President Proposes Trilateral Peace Talks in Azerbaijan Amid Ongoing Military Operations

Apr 25, 2026, 11:21

Introduction

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Azerbaijan for talks with President Ilham Aliyev, focusing on security and energy cooperation. During the visit, Zelenskyy said he is ready for three-way talks with Russia in Azerbaijan, depending on Moscow's willingness to engage in diplomacy.

Main Body

The visit, which included a meeting in Gabala, led to the signing of several agreements on defense industry collaboration, energy sector cooperation, and security. Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukrainian military experts are already in Azerbaijan to share expertise in countering drone and missile threats. Aliyev repeated Azerbaijan's support for Ukraine's territorial integrity and pointed out that bilateral trade exceeds $500 million. Zelenskyy said that Ukraine is ready to take part in three-way talks in Azerbaijan, similar to previous talks in Turkey and Switzerland, if Russia shows it is serious about diplomacy. The Kremlin has previously demanded that any meeting between leaders must take place in Moscow and has kept its extreme demands. In response, Kyiv has argued that it is willing to meet Putin in any country except Russia or Belarus. At the same time, Russian forces carried out a series of attacks on Ukrainian cities. In Dnipro, overnight strikes killed at least five people and wounded over 30. A drone attack on a civilian minibus in Zaporizhzhia caused one death and four injuries. The Odesa region also experienced attacks that damaged residential buildings and port infrastructure. A Russian drone fell in Romania, causing material damage for the first time, which led to the Romanian foreign minister calling in the Russian ambassador. Separately, Russia and Ukraine conducted a prisoner exchange, swapping 193 captured soldiers each. This exchange is one of the few points of cooperation between the two sides. Furthermore, Ukraine's defense ministry replaced a commander after photographs appeared of malnourished soldiers on the frontline. German prosecutors started a spying investigation into phishing attacks targeting lawmakers, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that Ukraine's immediate accession to the EU is not possible, although Kyiv could participate in meetings without voting rights.

Conclusion

The visit to Azerbaijan is part of Ukraine's wider diplomatic efforts, which included a previous trip to Saudi Arabia. While Ukraine shows readiness for negotiations, ongoing fighting and different positions on the terms of talks suggest that a solution is still far away.

Vocabulary Learning

accession (n.)

the act of joining an international organization加入；正式入會

Example:The country is currently preparing for its accession to the European Union.

collaboration (n.)

the act of working with another person or group to create or produce something合作；協作

Example:The two companies announced a new collaboration on renewable energy projects.

infrastructure (n.)

the basic systems and services that a country or organization uses基礎建設；基建

Example:The government is investing heavily in transport infrastructure to boost the economy.

integrity (n.)

the state of being whole and undivided完整；完善

Example:Many nations issued statements supporting the country's territorial integrity.

trilateral (adj.)

involving three groups or countries三方的；由三國組成的

Example:The three nations signed a trilateral agreement to improve regional security.

Sentence Learning

The visit, which included a meeting in Gabala, led to the signing of several agreements on defense industry collaboration, energy sector cooperation, and security.

Non-defining Relative Clause: This clause adds non-essential but descriptive information about the 'visit', separated by commas.非限定性關係子句: 此子句為「訪問」增添了非必要但具描述性的資訊，並以逗號分隔。

Zelenskyy said that Ukraine is ready to take part in three-way talks in Azerbaijan, similar to previous talks in Turkey and Switzerland, if Russia shows it is serious about diplomacy.

First Conditional: This structure uses 'if' with the present simple to express a real possibility in the future depending on a condition.第一類條件句: 此結構使用「if」配合一般現在式，以表達取決於某種條件下未來的一種真實可能性。

The Odesa region also experienced attacks that damaged residential buildings and port infrastructure.

Defining Relative Clause: This clause provides essential information to identify exactly which 'attacks' are being referred to.限定性關係子句: 此子句提供了必要資訊，以明確識別所指的是哪些「襲擊」。

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that Ukraine's immediate accession to the EU is not possible, although Kyiv could participate in meetings without voting rights.

Concession Linker: 'Although' is used to introduce a statement that contrasts with or modifies the main idea of the sentence.讓步連接詞: 「although」用於引入一個與句子主旨形成對比或作出修正的陳述。

While Ukraine shows readiness for negotiations, ongoing fighting and different positions on the terms of talks suggest that a solution is still far away.

Contrast Linker: 'While' is used at the beginning of the sentence to highlight the contrast between two simultaneous situations.對比連接詞: 「while」用於句首，以強調兩種同時發生的情況之間的對比。