Ukraine says ready for US-mediated trilateral with Russia; Zelensky names UAE as proposed venue
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on September 25 that the United States has proposed a trilateral meeting with Ukraine and Russia at the technical level, with the United Arab Emirates suggested as the venue. Ukraine is waiting for Washington to propose a date. The Kremlin confirmed contacts are underway. Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said Ukraine is ready for the format but saw no signals of Russian willingness to engage.
Key points
- Zelensky said on September 25 that the US proposed a trilateral Ukraine–US–Russia meeting at the technical level.
- The United Arab Emirates was proposed by the US side as the meeting venue, according to Zelensky.
- Ukraine is waiting for Washington to propose a date for the meeting.
- Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said Ukraine is ready for the trilateral format.
- Sybiha said he saw no signals of Russian readiness for peace, citing Lavrov's UN Security Council speech.
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed contacts are underway and said a trilateral meeting could take place soon.
- Zelensky met Trump on September 22 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
Why it matters
A potential leaders-level trilateral meeting would mark a significant escalation of diplomatic engagement aimed at ending the war, and any agreed venue, date and agenda would shape the near-term trajectory of negotiations.
What happened
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on September 25 that the United States has proposed a trilateral meeting with Ukraine and Russia at the technical level. According to Zelensky, Washington suggested the United Arab Emirates as the venue, and Ukraine is waiting for the US side to propose a date. The announcement followed Zelensky's meeting with US President Donald Trump on September 22 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. Zelensky described an agreed sequence of next steps: Ukraine will inform and consult European partners, the Americans will speak with the Russians, and the parties will return in about ten days with either a new viewpoint or a result. The Kremlin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed contacts are underway and said a trilateral meeting could take place soon, while noting no details have yet been worked out.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian-language reporting led with Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha's statement of readiness for the trilateral format alongside sharp skepticism about Russia's willingness to engage. Sybiha pointed to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's UN Security Council speech as evidence that Moscow is not prepared for peace and called for significantly increased international pressure on Russia to compel it to the table.
How international sources describe it
The German-language coverage framed the story primarily through Zelensky's account of the US proposal and the suggested UAE venue, and placed it within Zelensky's broader UN General Assembly agenda, including his request to Trump to raise the war with Chinese leader Xi Jinping during the Chinese leader's state visit to Washington.
Where reporting differs
Ukrainian and international coverage diverge on the question of readiness: Sybiha says Ukraine is ready for trilateral talks but has seen no signals of Russian readiness for peace, citing Lavrov's UN Security Council remarks, while the Kremlin's Peskov confirms contacts and says a trilateral meeting could take place soon.
Background
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Zelensky and Trump met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York in late September, and follow-up talks between Ukrainian and US negotiators are ongoing.