Zelensky: U.S. proposes technical trilateral meeting with Russia by end of October; Ukraine ready, awaits Moscow’s response

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Sunday, 4 October, in Kyiv that the United States has proposed holding a trilateral meeting (U.S.–Ukraine–Russia) at technical level by the end of October. The announcement was made at the joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who was on an unannounced visit to the Ukrainian capital.

“Yesterday I spoke with the American negotiating team. Yesterday I confirmed to them that our side is ready to support holding such a meeting by the end of October,” Zelensky said, as The Kyiv Independent reports.

Kyiv is open to the meeting being held in the United Arab Emirates “or in another country proposed by the American side.” Zelensky said he does not know whether Russia has already received the proposal: “We will wait for the answer. We respond positively to negotiations.”

The proposal comes after previous trilateral rounds: the one in Abu Dhabi in January, which produced only humanitarian agreements and prisoner exchanges, and the one in Geneva in February, which remained deadlocked. U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have mediated between the sides, while an earlier American proposal for a meeting in the United Arab Emirates was announced on 25 September.

Merz’s visit also brought news for Ukraine’s defence: Berlin announced a new military aid package of $1.5 billion, including air defence missiles, as well as an agreement on joint drone production. The visit took place as a Russian drone again hit Kyiv’s Northern Bridge on Sunday morning.

The Russian side has not yet reacted to the new proposal.

Volodymyr Zelensky at a press conference (archive photo: European Commission / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0).