US proposes Ukraine-Russia technical talks in UAE, Zelenskyy says

The United States has proposed a technical-level meeting with Ukraine and Russia, with the United Arab Emirates suggested as a possible venue, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday, 25 September. The proposal concerns preparations for negotiations over Russia’s war against Ukraine. Zelenskyy said Kyiv was waiting for Washington to propose a date; no meeting has been announced as agreed or scheduled.

Zelenskyy described the possible three-way format during a briefing with reporters. His account places the American proposal in the follow-up to his meeting with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York earlier this week. The Ukrainian president said negotiators from the two countries met afterward to discuss details, while the US side would speak with Russian officials and Kyiv would consult European partners.

The Kremlin said on Friday that a trilateral meeting involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States could take place soon. That statement did not establish a venue, date or agenda. The possibility of talks remains conditional on further contacts among the governments. Previous rounds and proposals have not produced an end to the fighting, making the distinction between a suggested format and an agreed meeting important for the current diplomatic effort.

The Ukrainian president’s office said Zelenskyy and Trump discussed steps that could open a path to diplomacy when they met in New York on 22 September. It said the leaders also discussed assistance for Ukraine ahead of winter, including air defence. The office quoted Zelenskyy as saying both countries wanted to see the war end before winter and had discussed possible de-escalatory steps. The statement did not announce an agreement with Russia.

In his Friday briefing, Zelenskyy said he was awaiting feedback from the American team, particularly on efforts to reduce hostilities before winter. Ukraine has sought protection for its energy infrastructure as colder weather approaches. He also said he had asked Trump to raise the war in talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The proposed Emirates meeting would be at a technical level, rather than a summit of the three countries’ leaders.

For Ukraine, European consultation is part of the next phase Zelenskyy described. He said the Ukrainian side would share and discuss the negotiating details with European partners while US representatives engage Russia. Kyiv and Washington would then review whether the contacts had produced a new perspective or a result, he said, without announcing a formal timetable for an actual trilateral session.

The war began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has continued through successive diplomatic initiatives. Zelenskyy’s latest account follows his direct conversation with Trump and subsequent work by their negotiating teams. The immediate outstanding step is a US proposal specifying when the technical meeting might take place, with the Emirates still described only as a possible host.