--- title: "Zelenskyy: US preparing meeting with Putin, discussing UAE, Saudi Arabia, and G20 summit" description: "Zelenskyy stated that the US is preparing a face-to-face meeting with Putin, with the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and the G20 summit being discussed. Putin, according to him, is only willing to meet in Moscow." date: 2026-10-17T16:28:18.748Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/zelenskyy-us-preparing-meeting-with-putin tags: [zelensky, putin, us-ukraine, peace-talks, g20, diplomacy] author: "Alexander Buran" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Zelenskyy: US preparing meeting with Putin, discussing UAE, Saudi Arabia, and G20 summit ![Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin in official portrait photos](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/17/zelenskiy-ssha-gotovyat-vstrechu-s-putinym/zelenskiy-ssha-gotovyat-vstrechu-s-putinym-1.webp) ## Key Points - Zelenskyy confirmed that the US is working on organizing a face-to-face meeting with Putin and Washington has concrete proposals - Among the venues discussed are the UAE, Saudi Arabia, a possible G20 summit in the US, and European capitals - Putin, according to Zelenskyy, rejects all options except for a meeting in Moscow - A working meeting between the Ukrainian delegation and Witkoff and Kushner is expected next week Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that the US authorities are already actively working to organize a face-to-face meeting between the leaders of the two countries. According to him, Washington "has proposals" regarding the format and venue of the negotiations. The statement was made during a conversation with journalists on October 17, 2026, and was reported by Ukrainian and international media. ### Where the meeting might take place Among the options being discussed, Zelenskyy named Middle Eastern countries—specifically the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. The team of US President Donald Trump, according to him, has already voiced several specific proposals. The option of holding the meeting on US territory during the Group of Twenty summit is also not ruled out, although neither Washington nor Moscow has yet confirmed this possibility. Zelenskyy also noted that European capitals could become a venue for negotiations: "I know that Europeans are starting to make contacts regarding this. We will see the result a little later." ### History of attempts and Moscow's position It is not the first time the Ukrainian leader has proposed one-on-one negotiations to Putin, arguing that such a meeting could genuinely bring an end to the war closer. Zelenskyy emphasized his readiness to fly to any neutral country, but according to him, the Russian leader has rejected all options, insisting that the meeting take place exclusively in Moscow. A face-to-face meeting between the heads of state took place only once—on December 9, 2019, in Paris, as part of the Normandy format summit with the participation of the leaders of France and Germany. After the multilateral part of the program, Putin and Zelenskyy held a separate bilateral meeting to discuss the settlement of the conflict in Donbas. ### Next steps Zelenskyy announced that next week a new meeting could take place between the Ukrainian delegation and Trump's special representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. This meeting, according to Kyiv's design, is to become part of a broader negotiation track aimed at ending the war. Thus, preparations for a possible meeting between the two presidents are proceeding in parallel with working contacts at the delegation level. ### Context: sanctions and the "diesel deal" In the same speech, Zelenskyy spoke out on the issue of sanctions policy, stating that in his estimation, the lifting of restrictions against Russia will continue, and the so-called "diesel deal" between Putin and Trump is only the first step in this direction. These statements were made against the background of ongoing diplomatic efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict. ## Fact-Check & Sources - ["Есть предложения": США работают над встречей Зеленского и Путина](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/e-propozitsiyi-ssha-pratsyuyut-zustrichchyu-1792241553.html) - Primary source of Zelenskyy's statement. All key facts (UAE, Saudi Arabia, G20, Europe, Paris 2019) confirmed. - [США работают над встречей Зеленского и Путина](https://charter97.org/ru/news/2026/10/17/702229/) - Completely matches the RBC-Ukraine text, no additional discrepancies. - [Зеленский заявил, что США «работают» над его встречей с Путиным](https://tvrain.tv/news/zelenskij-zajavil-chto-ssha-rabotajut-nad-ego-vstrechej-s-putinym-577323/) - Complements information: meeting of the delegation with Witkoff and Kushner next week, statement about the "diesel deal". - [Дипломаты Украина и США работают над встречей Зеленского и Трампа – МИД](https://www.bagnet.org/news/politics/1403460/diplomaty-ukraina-i-ssha-rabotayut-nad-vstrechey-zelenskogo-i-trampa-mid) - Relates to the Zelenskyy–Trump meeting in New York, not the main source for this article, used as context. ## FAQ ### Where might the meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin take place? According to Zelenskyy, several options are being discussed: Middle Eastern countries (UAE, Saudi Arabia), US territory during the G20 summit, and European countries. Neither option has yet been confirmed by Washington or Moscow. ### When did Zelenskyy and Putin last meet in person? The only face-to-face meeting took place on December 9, 2019, in Paris as part of the Normandy format summit. After the multilateral part of the program, the leaders held a separate bilateral meeting. ### What is Putin's position regarding the meeting? According to Zelenskyy's statement, Putin rejects all proposals for a meeting in a neutral country and insists on holding negotiations exclusively in Moscow. ### What next steps did Zelenskyy announce? Zelenskyy reported that next week a working meeting could take place between the Ukrainian delegation and Trump's special representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.