Zelensky: Ukraine supports trilateral talks with the US and Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Kyiv is ready to participate in trilateral negotiations with the United States and Russia.

He announced this during an online media session on Wednesday, October 21.

According to Zelensky, US presidential special envoy Steve Witkoff had held talks with both sides over the past two days and had in principle agreed on a new format for meetings.

“We received feedback that Russia, as we understood from the briefing, supports a trilateral meeting at the level of our teams. The American side proposes to do this as soon as possible, and we support this,” Zelensky said.

The Ukrainian president clarified that, as he understands it, the delegations at the trilateral talks would be tasked with preparing a meeting of the presidents of Russia, Ukraine, and the United States.

“The agenda is to end the war. And, as I understand it, to prepare everything for a meeting at the leaders’ level, and that is very important for everyone. We will support proposals for a ceasefire, for an end to the war, and for an energy truce — any truce,” the Ukrainian president said.

Zelensky added that he does not yet know the exact dates for the new meeting of delegations, but believes it should take place no later than the beginning of November. Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, following his talks with Witkoff, suggested the meeting could take place “in the second week of November.”

The meetings were preceded by Witkoff’s visits to Oslo and St. Petersburg. On October 20, he met in Oslo with Zelensky and representatives of Ukraine’s European allies, and on October 21 in St. Petersburg with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Following the meetings, Witkoff said that “the discussions were constructive” and “will continue in the format of trilateral negotiations between the US, Russia, and Ukraine at the technical level.”

Delegations from the three countries had previously held two rounds of closed-door talks in Abu Dhabi: the first on January 23–24, and the second on February 4–5. Following the second round, on February 5, Kyiv and Moscow agreed on another prisoner exchange. Despite statements from the parties about progress, no breakthrough toward ending the war was achieved.