Zelenskyy and Aliyev Propose Baku as Strategic Mediation Hub for Stalled Ukraine-Russia Peace Negotiations

President Zelenskyy and President Aliyev discuss hosting the next Ukraine-U.S.-Russia trilateral peace talks in Baku following delays in the Abu Dhabi process.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 25, 2026, 6:41 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Interfax-Ukraine

Baku as a Potential Neutral Ground for Diplomacy

The diplomatic focus of the April 2026 summit between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Ilham Aliyev extended beyond bilateral defense to the potential for Azerbaijan to host future high-stakes peace negotiations. Speaking from the city of Gabala on Saturday, Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine is prepared to engage in trilateral talks on Azerbaijani soil, provided there is a reciprocal readiness from the Russian Federation. This proposal positions Baku as a critical alternative to previous European and Middle Eastern venues, leveraging Azerbaijan's unique standing as a partner to both Kyiv and Moscow. Zelenskyy underscored that the choice of location is a reflection of trust in Azerbaijan's mediating role and its capacity to facilitate complex geopolitical dialogue.

The Stalled Momentum of the Abu Dhabi Process

The search for a new venue comes in the wake of significant disruptions to the "Abu Dhabi format," which had served as the primary channel for Ukraine-U.S.-Russia communications earlier this year. Negotiations led by Ukrainian representatives Rustem Umerov and David Arakhamia alongside U.S. envoys Steven Witkoff and Jared Kushner were originally slated for early March in the United Arab Emirates. However, according to sources close to the delegation, these talks were postponed indefinitely on March 5, 2026, due to the escalation of active hostilities. The inability to confirm a secure and effective location in the Gulf has prompted Kyiv to look toward the Caucasus for a more stable negotiating environment.

A History of Trilateral Mediated Frameworks

The readiness to negotiate in Azerbaijan is built upon a precedent of trilateral formats that have evolved throughout the conflict. Zelenskyy referenced previous rounds of successful, albeit difficult, discussions held in Turkey and Switzerland as the blueprint for future engagement. Under the mediation of the United States, earlier sessions in 2026 took place in Abu Dhabi on January 23–24 and February 4–5, followed by a high-level meeting in Geneva on February 17–18. These rounds produced preliminary memorandums and prisoner swaps, but the momentum was subsequently halted as international attention shifted toward the Iran war and its associated energy market disruptions.