Zelenskyy Warns Against Halting Ukraine Talks Amid US-Iran War; Cites Weapon Delays, €90 Billion Loan
President Zelenskyy warned against pausing Ukraine peace talks due to the US-Iran war, citing delays in weapon supplies and the challenge of shared US negotiators. He stressed Ukraine's urgent need for a recently approved €90 billion EU loan, crucial for its survival and industrial capacity. The loan's approval followed the removal of obstacles, including a change in Hungarian leadership.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned CNN that negotiations to end Russia's war cannot be paused until the US-Iran conflict is resolved, calling it «a big risk». He stated that while technical contacts with Washington continue, a higher-level meeting is unlikely given the ongoing Iran situation. Trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi (late January) and Geneva (February 17–18, 2026) failed to yield agreements, and a planned March round in Abu Dhabi was postponed after the US-Iran war began.
Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine cannot be put on hold, stating, «Ukraine is not 'a little bit later.' Ukraine is already in such a big tragedy, we have to find a way to manage this in a parallel way.» He noted that the same US negotiators, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, are handling both the Iran and Ukraine files, which he called a «challenge.» The Iran war has also impacted key weapon supplies, specifically anti-ballistic missiles, due to limited US production capacity.
Hours after the interview, EU ambassadors preliminarily agreed to a long-delayed €90 billion loan for Ukraine. Zelenskyy described this funding as «a question of life and surviving» for his country. He explained that without it, Ukrainian industry operates at roughly half capacity, citing drone interceptors as an example, with 1,000 units produced daily against a 2,000-unit capacity. The loan's delay was partly due to former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, whose recent electoral defeat and the resumption of Russian oil transit through Ukraine removed obstacles.