Ukraine's President Wants Peace Talks with Russia in Azerbaijan

Apr 25, 2026, 11:21
A2

Ukraine's President Wants Peace Talks with Russia in Azerbaijan

Introduction

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy went to Azerbaijan. He talked with President Ilham Aliyev. They talked about security and energy. Zelenskyy said he is ready to talk with Russia in Azerbaijan. But Russia must want to talk too.

Main Body

President Zelenskyy met President Aliyev in Gabala. They signed many agreements. The agreements are about defense, energy, and security. Ukrainian experts are now in Azerbaijan. They help with drones and missiles. Aliyev said he supports Ukraine's land. Trade between the two countries is more than $500 million. Zelenskyy said Ukraine is ready for three-way talks. The talks would be in Azerbaijan. Ukraine, Russia, and Azerbaijan would talk. Ukraine did similar talks in Turkey and Switzerland. But Russia must show it wants to talk. Russia says the meeting must be in Moscow. Ukraine says it can meet anywhere except Russia or Belarus. Russian attacks hit many Ukrainian cities. In Dnipro, attacks killed five people. More than 30 people were hurt. In Zaporizhzhia, a drone hit a minibus. One person died and four were hurt. In Odesa, attacks damaged houses and a port. A Russian drone fell in Romania. It caused damage for the first time. Romania called the Russian ambassador. Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners. Each side gave back 193 soldiers. This is one of the few times they work together. Ukraine changed a commander. Photos showed hungry soldiers. Germany started an investigation into attacks on lawmakers. The German chancellor said Ukraine cannot join the EU soon. But Ukraine can go to meetings without voting.

Conclusion

The visit to Azerbaijan is part of Ukraine's plan to talk to many countries. Ukraine also went to Saudi Arabia before. Ukraine says it is ready to talk. But the fighting continues. The two sides do not agree on how to talk. So peace is still far away.

Vocabulary Learning

agreement (n.)
promise / a formal decision between people or countries協議；協定
Example:The two companies signed an agreement to work together.
damage (v.)
break / to hurt or spoil something損壞；破壞
Example:Strong winds can damage the trees in the garden.
exchange (v.)
swap / to give something and receive something else交換
Example:We often exchange gifts with our friends at Christmas.
expert (n.)
specialist / a person who knows a lot about something專家
Example:My uncle is a computer expert and can fix any laptop.
security (n.)
safety / protection from danger or harm安全；保障
Example:There is a lot of security at the airport to keep people safe.

Sentence Learning

Ukrainian experts are now in Azerbaijan.
Time Marker: The word 'now' shows the current time of the action.時間標記: 'now' 一詞表示動作發生的目前時間。
But Russia must want to talk too.
Contrast Connector: The word 'But' connects two different or opposite ideas.對比連接詞: 'But' 一詞連接兩個不同或相反的觀點。
The agreements are about defense, energy, and security.
List Connector: The word 'and' is used to connect the last item in a list.並列連接詞: 'and' 一詞用於連接列表中的最後一項。
President Zelenskyy met President Aliyev in Gabala.
Prepositional Phrase: The phrase 'in Gabala' uses 'in' to show the location.介詞短語: 短語 'in Gabala' 使用 'in' 來表示地點。
So peace is still far away.
Result Connector: The word 'So' introduces the result of a situation.結果連接詞: 'So' 一詞引出情況的結果。
B2

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

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。
C2

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

Introduction

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Azerbaijan for discussions with President Ilham Aliyev, focusing on security and energy cooperation. During the visit, Zelenskyy expressed readiness for trilateral talks with Russia in Azerbaijan, contingent on Moscow's willingness to engage in diplomacy.

Main Body

The visit, which included a meeting in Gabala, resulted in the signing of multiple agreements covering 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 reaffirmed Azerbaijan's support for Ukraine's territorial integrity and noted that bilateral trade exceeds $500 million. Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine is prepared to participate in trilateral negotiations in Azerbaijan, similar to previous talks held in Turkey and Switzerland, provided Russia demonstrates a commitment to diplomacy. The Kremlin has previously insisted that any meeting between leaders must occur in Moscow and has maintained maximalist demands. Kyiv has countered that it is willing to meet Putin in any country except Russia or Belarus. Concurrently, Russian forces conducted a series of strikes on Ukrainian cities. In Dnipro, overnight attacks killed at least five people and wounded over 30. A drone strike on a civilian minibus in Zaporizhzhia resulted in one fatality 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, prompting the Romanian foreign minister to summon the Russian ambassador. In a separate development, Russia and Ukraine conducted a prisoner exchange, swapping 193 captured soldiers each. This exchange is one of the few areas of cooperation between the two sides. Additionally, Ukraine's defense ministry replaced a commander after photographs emerged of malnourished soldiers on the frontline. German prosecutors launched a spying investigation into phishing attacks targeting lawmakers, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that Ukraine's immediate accession to the EU is not feasible, though Kyiv could participate in meetings without voting rights.

Conclusion

The visit to Azerbaijan is part of Ukraine's broader diplomatic outreach, which included a prior trip to Saudi Arabia. While Ukraine signals readiness for negotiations, ongoing hostilities and divergent positions on the terms of talks indicate that a resolution remains distant.

Vocabulary Learning

accession (n.)
induction / the act of joining an international organization or treaty加入；正式入會
Example:The country's accession to the European Union required years of legal and economic reforms.
concurrently (adv.)
simultaneously / happening or done at the same time同時地；並行地
Example:The two international summits were held concurrently in different cities to address the global crisis.
contingent (adj.)
dependent / subject to chance or certain conditions視乎……而定；取決於
Example:The success of the peace talks is contingent on both parties agreeing to a ceasefire.
divergent (adj.)
differing / tending to be different or develop in different directions分歧的；相左的
Example:The two leaders held divergent views on how to tackle climate change, leading to a stalemate in negotiations.
maximalist (adj.)
uncompromising / favoring a policy of making no concessions極端主義的；不妥協的
Example:The government's maximalist position made it difficult for the opposition to find any common ground.

Sentence Learning

The visit, which included a meeting in Gabala, resulted in the signing of multiple agreements covering defense industry collaboration, energy sector cooperation, and security.
Non-restrictive Relative Clause & Participle Post-modification: The sentence uses a non-restrictive relative clause for parenthetical information and a present participle phrase ('covering...') to efficiently qualify 'agreements' without a relative pronoun.非限定性關係子句與分詞後置修飾: 句子使用非限定性關係子句提供補充資訊，並以現在分詞短語（'covering...'）精簡地修飾 'agreements'，避免了重複使用關係代名詞。
Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine is prepared to participate in trilateral negotiations in Azerbaijan, similar to previous talks held in Turkey and Switzerland, provided Russia demonstrates a commitment to diplomacy.
Conditional Conjunction: The use of 'provided' (meaning 'on the condition that') introduces a formal conditional constraint, which is a hallmark of C2-level diplomatic and legal discourse.條件連接詞: 使用 'provided'（意為「在……條件下」）引入正式的條件限制，這是 C2 級別外交及法律辭令的典型特徵。
A Russian drone fell in Romania, causing material damage for the first time, prompting the Romanian foreign minister to summon the Russian ambassador.
Chained Resultative Participle Clauses: The use of successive '-ing' clauses ('causing...', 'prompting...') creates a sophisticated cause-and-effect chain, typical of high-level journalistic writing to show immediate consequences.連鎖結果分詞子句: 連續使用 '-ing' 分詞子句（'causing...'、'prompting...'）構建了高級的因果鏈條，這是高階新聞寫作中用以展現即時後果的典型手法。
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that Ukraine's immediate accession to the EU is not feasible, though Kyiv could participate in meetings without voting rights.
Concessive Clause with Modal Nuance: The sentence pairs a definitive negative ('not feasible') with a concessive 'though' clause using the modal 'could' to express a nuanced, conditional possibility.具語氣差異的讓步子句: 句子將明確的否定（'not feasible'）與由 'though' 引導的讓步子句結合，並使用情態動詞 'could' 表達細微的、有條件的可能性。
While Ukraine signals readiness for negotiations, ongoing hostilities and divergent positions on the terms of talks indicate that a resolution remains distant.
Abstract Nominalization & Complex Subject: The subject consists of abstract noun phrases ('hostilities', 'positions') which increase lexical density, while the 'While' clause establishes a sophisticated contrast between intent and reality.抽象名詞化與複合主語: 主語由抽象名詞短語（'hostilities'、'positions'）組成，增加了詞彙密度，而 'While' 子句則在意圖與現實之間建立了複雜的對比。