President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine is waiting for the United States to propose a date for a trilateral technical-level meeting involving Ukraine, the United States and Russia. The U.S. side has proposed holding the talks in the United Arab Emirates.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy made the remarks while answering journalists’ questions, according to Suspilne.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine had held talks with Egypt, India, Turkey and Middle Eastern countries on unblocking the Black Sea. Kyiv proposed a reciprocal ceasefire, but has not yet received a response following those countries’ contacts with Russia.
Ukraine will also brief its European partners on the details of its talks with the United States, while the U.S. side will discuss them with Russia. According to Zelenskyy, the parties plan to review the results of those contacts in 10 days.
Zelenskyy also said he was waiting for feedback from the U.S. team on the conversation between Trump and Xi Jinping. The Ukrainian president had asked Trump to urge the Chinese leader to influence Vladimir Putin over ending Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Separately, Zelenskyy said he had not yet held any meetings or spoken with candidates for the post of Ukraine’s new prosecutor general.
The president also said that during their latest meeting Donald Trump told him he had made a final decision to grant Ukraine licenses to produce missiles for Patriot air defense systems.
Zelenskyy also commented on Ukraine’s $27 billion defense budget shortfall. He said most of the money is needed for drones, missiles and support for the military, with roughly one-third of the funds required immediately. The president warned that if Ukraine does not place drone orders in October and November, it could face “serious challenges” in January and February.
