Zelensky did not confirm Brussels trip: US changed plans

The Office of the President of Ukraine said on Monday, October 26, that it could not confirm the expected trip by Volodymyr Zelensky to Brussels this week.

The trip was to include high-level talks with the United States, the European Union and NATO.

“So far we are not confirming this due to a change in plans on the American side,” presidential adviser Dmytro Lytvyn told journalists, according to RBC-Ukraine.

According to the Kyiv Independent, conflicting signals had come from Kyiv over two days, and European officials were trying to understand whether a four-way meeting on ending the war between Russia and Ukraine would take place at all.

The meeting was announced, then doubts arose

In a television interview aired on Sunday, October 25, Zelensky said the talks were scheduled for Tuesday or Wednesday, October 27–28. According to him, they would involve Ukraine, the US, the EU at the level of presidents, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Interfax-Ukraine reports.

“We were informed by the Americans, and now they want not just a briefing but a discussion of security, guarantees, the EU and its broader involvement,” he said, as quoted by Euronews.

Late in the evening on October 25, a senior Ukrainian official told the Kyiv Independent that the trip had been canceled. However, on Monday morning, Radio Liberty, citing sources in Zelensky’s team, reported that he was nevertheless going to Brussels. Asked about the visit, the European Commission said it had no additional information, NV reports.

US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were supposed to brief the Europeans on the results of a recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to the Kyiv Independent, Kyiv then learned that President Donald Trump wants both envoys to remain in Washington during the Israeli elections on October 27.

“Donald wants the two of them to be near him in Washington,” a senior Ukrainian official told the publication.

The timing of the visit also proved inconvenient for EU leadership. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa were preparing to travel to Montreal for the Canada–EU summit.

“We are going to Canada and are not expecting guests,” a senior EU official said. He also added that the Ukrainians are “sometimes a bit chaotic,” the Kyiv Independent reports.

The next round of talks

Zelensky said the Ukrainian, American and Russian negotiating groups should meet in the first half of November, Euronews reports. Abu Dhabi was named as the venue.

An EU representative said the Europeans still expect another round of talks in Europe before that date, but added: “Whether it happens or not — given the temperaments of all the participants, it is hard to say,” the Kyiv Independent reports.