Zelenskyy says Ukraine ready for US-proposed trilateral talks with Russia this month

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Ukraine is ready to take part in US-proposed trilateral talks with the United States and Russia, with the United Arab Emirates named as a venue, according to Al Jazeera and Anadolu.

Al Jazeera quoted Zelenskyy as saying: "I confirmed to [the US] that our side is ready to support this timeline". He said Kyiv was open to meeting in the UAE or "another country proposed by the American side", the outlet reported.

According to Al Jazeera, Zelenskyy made the comments on Sunday at a news conference in Kyiv alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

Background, as reported

Al Jazeera reported that US efforts to broker a ceasefire have been paused since Washington launched its war on Iran. The outlet said the UAE has hosted previous talks and that earlier reports had suggested it could host a new meeting. Those earlier reports are not identified.

The war has been fought for over four and a half years, according to Al Jazeera. The outlet reported that both Russia and Ukraine have said they will ramp up long-range attacks on military and related targets. It also reported that similar attacks on Ukraine's energy sector last year knocked out power and heating for days as temperatures fell to minus 20C.

What each side says

• Zelenskyy: According to Al Jazeera, he said Washington is pushing for technical-level talks by the end of October and has also been in touch with Moscow about the plan. The outlet quoted him as accusing Russia of a "savage desire to escalate the situation every day" and of targeting "civilian infrastructure, including data centres and mobile network facilities".
• Russia: The Kremlin said last month that it did not rule out three-way talks this month, according to Al Jazeera. Moscow has said it is targeting Ukraine's energy sector as winter approaches, the outlet reported.
• India: Al Jazeera reported that India said on Sunday it aims to play a larger role in mediating an end to the conflict. Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said India had become more involved in recent months on Black Sea shipping and was "going beyond that", with discussions on grain and energy exports and "on non-attack possibilities", according to the outlet. Al Jazeera said mines and attacks on commercial vessels have affected Black Sea shipping.

What remains unclear

The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not include any US government statement confirming the proposal, the timeline or the venue. Washington's role is described only through Zelenskyy's account.

The reports do not include a Russian response to Zelenskyy's Sunday remarks, or any indication that Moscow has agreed to take part.

No exact date, confirmed venue or agenda is given, and the talks are described only as technical-level. The Anadolu report was available to Vocemundi only as a headline, which presents the UAE as the venue.

Zelenskyy's accusations about strikes on civilian infrastructure are not independently verified in the reports. Al Jazeera's account of India's role is not corroborated by a second outlet.

Analysis

Zelenskyy's statement signals Ukrainian willingness, but talks require three parties, and the reports show only one publicly committing. If Washington and Moscow confirm, technical-level meetings could reopen a channel that Al Jazeera says has been paused. If they do not, the statement may remain a declaration of position. The reported plans by both sides to step up long-range attacks suggest that diplomacy and military pressure could proceed in parallel. India's stated interest in mediation adds another possible track, though its scope is described by a single outlet. None of these outcomes is certain.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.