Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that the United States is proposing to hold a new trilateral meeting between American, Ukrainian, and Russian negotiators to end the war as quickly as possible. According to him, possible talks at the level of national leaders are also being discussed against the backdrop of this initiative. The statement was made in response to journalists' questions on October 21, RBC-Ukraine reports.
Trilateral meeting at the team level
Zelenskyy called the October 21 meeting between US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and the Russian side important. "We received feedback that Russia supports a trilateral meeting at the level of our teams. The American side proposes doing this as soon as possible. We support this," the Ukrainian president said. He added that following discussions with American partners, the parties intend to implement the meeting "as early as possible," and the teams of the three countries will continue communicating in relevant areas.
Timeline: Targeting November
Speaking about the timeframe, Zelenskyy stated that the American side intends to hold the meeting in November, "no later than early November," while noting that "not everything depends on us." The Russian side has also confirmed its readiness to return to the negotiation process in the first half of November: according to reports, Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov linked the possibility of resuming trilateral contacts to the meeting between Putin and Witkoff in St. Petersburg. Thus, both public positions converge on a November target, although specific formulations of the timeframe differ.
Agenda: From ceasefire to leaders' meeting
Zelenskyy outlined the agenda for the upcoming contacts: "to end the war, bring peace closer, and prepare everything for a meeting at the level of leaders." He listed the areas Ukraine is ready to support: a ceasefire, ending the war, the energy system, humanitarian initiatives, the return of prisoners, and diplomatic steps. According to the president, this agenda is "very important" for Ukraine and is always emphasized by the Ukrainian side.
Moscow's position
From the Russian side, as reported by Ukrainian media citing Ushakov, the main topic of negotiations should be the formation of a security system for Ukraine and Russia after the war. Ushakov also conveyed that Witkoff positively assessed the possibility of resuming contacts and assured that US President Donald Trump would be satisfied with such a decision. At the same time, the Russian presidential aide presented his own version of the reasons for the disruption of previous plans, linking them to a strike on Ukraine on the day of the State Duma voting — a statement originating exclusively from the Russian side.
The main signal is positive
Zelenskyy assessed the current dynamics as positive: "From our side, there is full support for the American proposals." He expressed hope that Russia, which, according to him, "has repeatedly said it is ready for a meeting in one format or another," will not cancel the agreements this time. The main concept, as formulated by the Ukrainian president, is "to meet as early as possible, start working, and build the peace we need."
