After 'betrayal' remark over Trump's Russia deal, Zelenskyy now says Ukraine is ready to talk
KYIV, UKRAINE: Diplomatic ties between the US and Ukraine have come under strain after President Donald Trump struck a deal with Russia to supply diesel to the US and global markets, as rising oil prices continue to drive up the cost of living across the country.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine is ready to negotiate. The announcement comes days after he said he felt “betrayed” by the president’s decision to secure a diesel agreement.
Ukraine ready to negotiate amid continued hostilities with Russia
Zelenskyy on Saturday expressed his openness to engaging in US-led negotiations to end the years-long Russia-Ukraine war.
The announcement also comes only hours after Trump announced a freeze on the application of sanctions against Russia under the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act.
"The American negotiating track will continue," Zelenskyy wrote on X. “We’re counting on them to put more pressure on [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, not on us. Otherwise, it’s simply unfair.”
The Ukrainian leader said his country is “ready to negotiate anywhere” and in “any format” with the US.
The American negotiating track will continue. We’re counting on them to put more pressure on Putin, not on us. Otherwise, it’s simply unfair. As for our meetings with the American side – we expect to meet and are ready to meet in Ukraine or in Europe. If they want to meet in America, let them invite us. We’re ready to negotiate anywhere, and we’re ready for any format: three-way, two-way, four-way, five-plus – it doesn’t matter. What matters is peace. The American side has given us a signal that our meeting with them can happen next week. And, of course, in my view, Europeans need to have their own infrastructure and their own track for negotiations with Russia. We need to pursue every possible avenue to stop the war. We’ll also speak separately with Türkiye. I plan to talk separately with President Erdoğan about the sea and food security, and with representatives of Middle Eastern countries. Regarding a meeting with Putin, the United States is working on this. They have a proposal for a trilateral meeting. This meeting can take place in one of the Middle Eastern countries. The United States has always mentioned the UAE or Saudi Arabia. Another possibility is for the meeting to take place in the United States during the G20 summit. But there has been no confirmation yet from Russia or from the United States. The meeting could also take place in one of the European countries. I know that the Europeans are starting contacts about this. We’ll see how things turn out a little later. From answers to journalists’ questions. (3/3)
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) October 17, 2026
“What matters is peace,” he wrote. “The American side has given us a signal that our meeting with them can happen next week.”
US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff traveled to Russia and Ukraine last month to continue negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv to end the years-long conflict in the region.
The two sides have continued attacking each other's energy infrastructure, placing an even greater strain on global energy supplies already tightened amid the Iran war.
Trilateral meeting could take place in December
The Ukrainian leader said that the US is “working” to set up a meeting between him, Trump and Putin. He said the G20 summit in Miami in December could be one possible place for the meeting.
“But there has been no confirmation yet from Russia or from the United States,” he added. “The meeting could also take place in one of the European countries. I know that the Europeans are starting contacts about this. We’ll see how things turn out a little later.”
Earlier on Saturday, Zelenskyy warned that the sanctions relief could help what he called a Russian effort to “cause a blackout in Ukraine.”
“Pressure is needed to stop this. A US sanctions blackout, easing pressure on the aggressor, financial rewards for Putin – all of this only encourages him to keep attacking,” he wrote on X. “We must not give up ground.”
