President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that two days of trilateral talks between Ukraine, the United States, and Russia in the United Arab Emirates have concluded, marking the first such format in quite some time. According to him, the discussions were constructive and covered a wide range of issues.
Zelenskyy wrote about this on social media, noting that the talks also involved military representatives from all three sides. Ukraine was represented by Rustem Umerov, Kyrylo Budanov, Andrii Hnatov, Davyd Arakhamia, Serhii Kyslytsia, and Vadym Skibitskyi. The U.S. delegation included Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, Dan Driscoll, Alex Grynkewich, and Josh Grunbaum. Russia was represented by officials from its military intelligence and armed forces.
According to the president, the key focus of the discussions was on possible parameters for ending the war. He emphasized the importance of a shared understanding of the need for U.S. monitoring and oversight of the process of ending the war and ensuring genuine security. The U.S. side also raised the issue of potential formats for formalizing the parameters of ending the war and the security conditions required for that.
Zelenskyy said that following the talks, all sides agreed to report back in their respective capitals on each aspect of the negotiations and to coordinate further steps with their leaders. Military representatives have identified a list of issues for a possible next meeting.
“If there is readiness to move forward — and Ukraine is ready — further meetings will take place, potentially as early as next week,” Zelenskyy said, adding that he expects a personal report from the delegation upon its return.
He also expressed gratitude to the United Arab Emirates and personally to the country’s president for their mediation efforts and willingness to host further meetings, stressing that Ukraine continues to work for peace and security and thanking all those who are helping.