Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Thursday that officials from Ukraine, the United States, and Russia are scheduled to participate in their first-ever trilateral meeting in the United Arab Emirates on Friday and Saturday, marking a potentially significant diplomatic step in efforts to end the nearly four-year-long war in Ukraine.
Speaking during a plenary session at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, Zelensky confirmed that the two-day meeting would take place at a technical level, though he did not specify the format, agenda, or whether Ukrainian and Russian representatives would engage in direct negotiations.
“Tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, we will have a trilateral meeting. This is better than not having any dialogue at all,” Zelensky said, emphasizing cautious optimism while acknowledging uncertainty surrounding the process.
First Trilateral Format Since War Began
The planned talks represent the first known instance of a three-way diplomatic format involving Ukraine, Russia, and the United States since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Previous engagement has largely been conducted through bilateral or indirect channels, with Washington acting as Kyiv’s principal military and diplomatic backer.
Zelensky indicated that the meeting follows an hour-long discussion with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the Davos forum. According to Zelensky, US officials waited to assess the outcome of that meeting before proceeding with further diplomatic steps.
“Now they are heading to Moscow, and my team will talk to the US representatives. This will be the first tripartite meeting in the Emirates, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow,” Zelensky said. “I hope the UAE is aware, because the Americans generally love surprising everyone.”
Moscow Confirms US Contact
Earlier on Thursday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin was expected to meet US representatives later in the evening. While Moscow has not officially commented on the UAE talks themselves, the confirmation of direct US-Russia contact adds weight to Zelensky’s announcement.
US envoy Steven Witkoff also confirmed that he and Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law, would travel to Moscow before proceeding to Abu Dhabi, where working-level meetings are scheduled to take place.
Ceasefire Documents ‘Nearly Ready’
Zelensky told the Davos audience that documents aimed at ending the war are “nearly ready,” suggesting that the upcoming talks could focus on ceasefire mechanisms or confidence-building measures.
“The documents are now even better prepared,” he said, adding that Ukrainian and American teams have been working “almost every day” to find a pathway toward ending the conflict.
“I really hope that the Russians will be ready for compromises, because it is not only the Ukrainian side that should be ready for compromises,” Zelensky said, reiterating Kyiv’s long-standing position that peace requires reciprocal concessions.
Trump-Zelensky Talks
Following his meeting with Trump, Zelensky described the discussion as “productive and substantive,” noting that the two leaders reviewed the work of their respective negotiating teams and discussed military assistance, particularly air defense.
“We also spoke today about air defense for Ukraine. Our previous meeting with President Trump helped strengthen the protection of our skies, and I hope that this time we will reinforce it further as well,” Zelensky said in a post on X.
Trump, for his part, characterized the meeting as “good” and said the war “has to end.”
“We hope it’s going to end. There are a lot of people being killed,” Trump told reporters, according to the Associated Press, describing negotiations as an “ongoing process” driven by a shared desire to stop the fighting.
Europe’s Security and NATO Questions
In parallel remarks at Davos, Zelensky raised concerns about Europe’s reliance on the United States for security, questioning whether NATO would function effectively without guaranteed US backing.
“Right now NATO exists thanks to the belief that the United States will act,” he said. “But what if it doesn’t? Believe me, this question is everywhere in the minds of every European leader.”
Zelensky also argued that Europe should develop its own unified armed forces capable of defending the continent independently.
Cautious Optimism Amid Uncertainty
Despite the announcement, Zelensky acknowledged that the talks may not proceed smoothly or immediately, stressing that dialogue itself remains the priority.
“Perhaps the meeting won’t happen right away, perhaps we’ll have to wait,” he said. “But tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, we have scheduled tripartite meetings. This is better than the complete lack of dialogue.”
As delegations prepare to meet in the UAE, expectations remain tempered. However, the initiation of a trilateral format involving Kyiv, Moscow, and Washington signals a notable diplomatic shift that could shape the next phase of efforts to bring the conflict to an end.
