The United States has proposed a trilateral meeting between Ukraine and Russia in the United Arab Emirates to discuss ending the war that began with Moscow's invasion in February 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday.
Zelenskyy revealed the proposal during a WhatsApp press briefing, saying the US side had suggested holding talks at the working level in a trilateral format. "We are waiting for a date proposal from the US side, which has put forward the Emirates as a possible venue," he said.
A Kremlin spokesperson confirmed that contact had been made but offered no specifics on scheduling. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday that while a three-way meeting could take place soon, there were as yet no detailed arrangements.
Peskov also said Russian special envoy Kirill Dmitriev had held talks in the United States focused primarily on economic matters. Dmitriev met on September 24 with US representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, according to a person familiar with the matter cited by Reuters.
The proposal comes days after Zelenskyy held talks with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. Following the Trump meeting, Ukrainian and US negotiators discussed operational details. Zelenskyy said the two sides would each consult their partners — Ukrainians with Europeans, Americans with Russians — before reconvening.
"We will discuss these details with the European side, the Americans will speak with the Russians, and we will return in ten days with either a new perspective or a result," Zelenskyy said.
Zelenskyy also asked Trump to raise the conflict during talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is on a state visit to Washington. He said he was still waiting for a response from the US team, particularly regarding de-escalation efforts ahead of winter.
Zelenskyy warned European partners about further Russian hybrid attacks and offered Ukrainian support. Moscow has denied allegations linking it to sabotage acts in European countries.
