Trilateral Talks Between Ukraine, Russia, and the US Scheduled for Next Month
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that a trilateral meeting involving Ukraine, Russia, and the United States is set to take place in November. Revealing the plans in a social media post on Sunday that cited an interview with the Ukrainian television programme TSN Week, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine is prepared to engage in technical-group discussions, though specific attendees have not yet been finalized.
During the interview, the Ukrainian leader outlined firm boundaries for upcoming diplomacy, emphasizing that Kyiv will not entertain discussions regarding limits on its armed forces or enforced post-war neutrality. Zelenskyy also reiterated his push for a U.S.-brokered meeting specifically between himself and Russian President Vladimir Putin, maintaining that Putin is the key decision-maker required to resolve core issues—such as the status of the nearly 20% of Ukrainian territory currently occupied by Russia. He noted that territorial matters remain a "red line" reserved exclusively for discussion at the leadership level.
Furthermore, Zelenskyy stressed that he opposes entering leadership-level negotiations without leverage, asserting that existing international sanctions and frozen assets must remain in place. Alongside the announcement of next month's talks, the Ukrainian president addressed operational updates following a meeting with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff in Oslo, noting the full restoration of U.S. warnings regarding imminent missile strikes and the recovery of SpaceX's Starshield satellite internet speeds in Ukraine. However, he also voiced ongoing concerns, criticizing the pace at which Ukraine is receiving missiles for its Patriot air defense systems.
