Ukraine is ready to hold trilateral talks with the United States and Russia this month, with the United Arab Emirates or another country proposed by Washington being considered as a venue, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday.
The Ukrainian president made the announcement during a joint news conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Kyiv. Zelenskyy said Ukraine supported a swift timetable for resuming negotiations aimed at ending the war, which has lasted for more than four and a half years.
“I confirmed to [the US] that our side is ready to support this timeline,” Zelenskyy said, adding that Kyiv was open to meeting in the UAE or “another country proposed by the American side.”
Washington is pressing for technical-level talks by the end of October, according to Zelenskyy. The United States has also contacted Moscow about the proposal, while the Kremlin said last month that it had not ruled out three-way talks this month.
The renewed diplomatic effort comes after US efforts to broker a ceasefire were paused following Washington’s launch of a war on Iran. The possible meeting would be the latest sign of a potential return to negotiations between the three countries.
Despite indications that they are willing to discuss ending the conflict, Russia and Ukraine have also said they will intensify long-range attacks on military and related targets. Moscow has said it is targeting Ukraine’s energy sector as winter approaches. Similar attacks last year left power and heating systems without service for days at a time as temperatures fell to minus 20C.
Zelenskyy accused Russia of targeting civilian infrastructure, including data centres and mobile network facilities. He said he was “amazed” by Russia’s “savage desire to escalate the situation every day,” while acknowledging that he was not surprised by Moscow’s approach to the war.
India is also seeking a greater role in mediating the conflict. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference in New Delhi, Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said India had become more involved in discussions on Black Sea shipping, grain and energy exports, and possible ways to prevent further attacks.
Original Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/4/ukraine-ready-for-us-backed-talks-with-russia-zelenskyy
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Publish Date: 2026-10-05 01:51:00
