---
title: "Zelensky Reveals Three Steps by Washington for De-escalation: Energy Ceasefire, Grain Corridor, and Meeting in Abu Dhabi"
description: "In an interview with Axios, Zelensky named three steps by Washington for de-escalation: an energy ceasefire, a restart of the grain corridor, and a trilateral meeting in Abu Dhabi at the level of technical teams. Kyiv declared its readiness to support all three initiatives."
date: 2026-09-24T11:08:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/zelensky-three-steps-washington-deescalation-energy-ceasefire
tags: [ukraine-war, zelensky, trump, un-general-assembly, energy-ceasefire, grain-corridor, abu-dhabi, peace-negotiations]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Zelensky Reveals Three Steps by Washington for De-escalation: Energy Ceasefire, Grain Corridor, and Meeting in Abu Dhabi

![Volodymyr Zelensky in front of the Ukrainian flag and an official banner while discussing the US de-escalation plan](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/24/zelensky-tri-shaga-vashingtona-deeskaliatsiya-energeticheskoe-pereimirye/zelensky-tri-shaga-vashingtona-deeskaliatsiya-energeticheskoe-pereimirye-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- The US put forward three steps for de-escalation: an energy ceasefire, a grain corridor, and a trilateral meeting
- Washington proposed starting with technical teams in Abu Dhabi rather than a meeting of leaders
- Zelensky declared Kyiv's readiness to support all three initiatives in any format
- The meeting between Zelensky and Trump took place on September 22 on the margins of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York
- Trump stated that the war will end "sooner than people imagine"

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in an interview with the outlet Axios, revealed the details of a diplomatic initiative put forward by the administration of US President Donald Trump as part of efforts to de-escalate the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and resume dialogue with Moscow. According to the Ukrainian leader, Washington is insisting on three urgent steps that, in his assessment, could become a real mechanism for reducing the intensity of hostilities. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing direct quotes from Zelensky.

### Three Points Washington Is Insisting On

The first and, according to Zelensky, the most pressing point was the proposal for a so-called "energy ceasefire" — a joint cessation of strikes on energy infrastructure. The President of Ukraine emphasized that it was the US that put forward this initiative, and Kyiv is ready to support it. "The proposal is now on the agenda: an energy ceasefire. We are ready," Zelensky stated. The second point is Washington's desire to reopen the "grain corridor," which is to ensure the unimpeded export of Ukrainian agricultural products. The third step is holding a trilateral meeting involving representatives of Ukraine, Russia, and the US.

### Format and Venue of the Trilateral Talks

According to Zelensky, Washington proposed starting with a meeting at the level of technical teams rather than immediately moving to contacts at the level of heads of state. As a possible venue for the talks, the US named Abu Dhabi. The Ukrainian president reacted to this with maximum openness: "We are open to proposals — any country, any format." Thus, Kyiv is not setting rigid conditions on geography or the hierarchy of participants, which in effect removes one of the possible barriers to launching the negotiation process.

### Context: Meeting on the Margins of the UN General Assembly

Zelensky's resonant interview came against the backdrop of his personal meeting with Donald Trump, which took place on September 22, 2026, on the margins of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York. After the talks, the Ukrainian leader publicly named the condition under which Kyiv would agree to an energy ceasefire with Russia. Trump himself, speaking at the General Assembly podium, stated that the war in Ukraine will end "sooner than people imagine." Zelensky, in turn, expressed hope that with the mediation of the American president, the conflict could be resolved before the onset of winter.

### Assessment of the Negotiation Dynamics

The totality of the statements indicates that the diplomatic track between Washington, Kyiv, and Moscow is moving from abstract declarations to concrete working mechanisms. The shift from talks at the leaders' level to meetings of technical teams may reduce the political pressure and allow the parties to work out technical details — from the routes of the grain corridor to monitoring the regime of ceasing strikes on energy facilities. The choice of Abu Dhabi as a venue is also not accidental: the UAE traditionally serves as a neutral platform for sensitive negotiations and has established channels of communication with both sides of the conflict.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Zelensky Named Three Points the US Is Insisting On in Peace Talks](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/zelenskiy-nazvav-tri-punkti-kih-napolyagayut-1790247359.html) - Подтверждает все три пункта инициативы США и прямые цитаты Зеленского из интервью Axios
- [Trump and Zelensky Held Talks in New York: First Details](https://society.comments.ua/news/warrussia/tramp-i-zelenskiy-proveli-peregovory-v-nyu-yorke-pervye-detali-816824.html) - Подтверждает факт встречи 22 сентября на полях ГА ООН и первые детали переговоров
- [Expert Stepanov Explained Why Zelensky Came to the US](https://tass.ru/politika/28144643) - Даёт аналитический контекст визита Зеленского в США и целей переговоров
- ["They Didn't Come for No Reason": Zelensky Reveals Details of Talks with Trump's People](https://glavred.info/war/ne-prosto-tak-priezzhali-zelenskiy-raskryl-detali-peregovorov-s-lyudmi-trampa-10798937.html) - Подтверждает детали переговоров и готовность Киева к энергетическому перемирию

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What three steps did the US propose for de-escalating the conflict?
**A:** According to Zelensky, Washington is insisting on: 1) a joint cessation of strikes on energy infrastructure (an "energy ceasefire"), 2) a restart of the "grain corridor" for the export of Ukrainian agricultural products, 3) holding a trilateral meeting of Ukraine, Russia, and the US.

### Q: Where and in what format is the trilateral meeting proposed to be held?
**A:** The US proposed starting with a meeting at the level of technical teams rather than leaders. Abu Dhabi was named as a possible venue. Zelensky stated that Kyiv is open to any country and any format.

### Q: When did the meeting between Zelensky and Trump take place?
**A:** The meeting took place on September 22, 2026, on the margins of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

### Q: What did Trump say about the timing of the war's end?
**A:** Speaking at the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, Trump stated that the war in Ukraine will end "sooner than people imagine." Zelensky expressed hope for the end of the conflict before winter.