The key facts

  • The US is working to organize a trilateral meeting of Putin, Zelensky and Trump
  • Possible venues: the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the G20 summit in the US, or a European country
  • Russia and the US have not yet confirmed the meeting; a meeting with the American side may take place next week

Possible venues for talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the US is working to organize a meeting with Putin and has proposed holding a trilateral meeting. According to him, it could take place in one of the Middle Eastern countries: the US has mentioned the United Arab Emirates or Saudi Arabia several times. Another option is holding talks in the US as part of the G20 summit. He also added that the meeting could take place in one of the European countries, where Europeans have already begun establishing contacts on this issue. At the same time, neither Russia nor the US has yet confirmed the possibility of holding such a meeting.

Readiness for talks in any format

Zelensky expressed hope that talks with the US presidential administration would take place in Ukraine or Europe, noting: “If they want to meet in America, let them invite us.” He emphasized his readiness to negotiate in any place and in any format — bilateral, trilateral, quadrilateral, or with the participation of five or more parties, since the main thing is to achieve peace. According to him, a meeting with representatives of the American side may take place as early as next week.

Other topics

Zelensky stated the need to use every opportunity to end the war. In addition, he intends to discuss with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issues of security at sea and food security.