Volodymyr Zelenskyy announces trilateral meeting with US and Russian representatives in UAE

DAVOS, SWITZERLAND: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday, January 22, that representatives from Ukraine, Russia and the United States are expected to hold trilateral talks later this week, marking what he described as the first meeting involving all three sides since the war began.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Zelenskyy said the talks would likely take place in the United Arab Emirates over one or two days and would be held at the technical level.

He added that discussions were ongoing with US negotiators on a potential ceasefire framework. Neither the White House nor Moscow has formally confirmed the trilateral meeting.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the talks could take over the weekend

Zelenskyy said the proposed discussions would mark the first trilateral meeting involving Ukraine, Russia and the United States since the war began and would be held in the United Arab Emirates at the technical level.

“I think it will be the first trilateral meeting in (the) Emirates,” he said. “It will be two days’ meetings in (the) Emirates. I hope that Emirates know about it.”

President Donald Trump has previously indicated that trilateral talks would be held “at the right time.”

Zelenskyy said Ukrainian officials have been working closely with Trump’s negotiators as efforts continue to reach a ceasefire agreement acceptable to both Kyiv and Moscow.

“The documents aimed at ending this war are nearly, nearly ready,” he said, describing the negotiations as complex but ongoing. He stressed that any final agreement would need to include security guarantees for Ukraine backed by the United States.

“The UK and France are ready to actually commit their forces on the ground,” Zelenskyy said. “But the backstop of President Trump is needed. And again, no security guarantees work without the US.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that he would meet with Witkoff and Kushner in Moscow.

According to Russian news agencies, Putin said discussions would include the possible use of frozen Russian assets, as European governments continue to debate how to mobilize roughly €300 billion in Russian funds held largely in Belgium to support Ukraine’s defense and reconstruction.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy says 'last mile' process with Russia will be difficult

Zelenskyy acknowledged progress in US-led negotiations involving Ukraine and Russia but said the final stage of the peace process would be challenging. “The last mile” of the road to peace would be “difficult,” he said during an event in Davos. 

“Everybody has to be ready,” Zelenskyy said, suggesting that separate talks between the US and Ukraine and between the US and Russia would eventually need to converge.

Referring to Putin, he added, “Nobody knows what is in his head.” Zelenskyy said dialogue remained preferable to none, even as fighting continued.

Zelenskyy also described his meeting with Trump in Davos as “productive and substantive.”

In a post on X, he said, “We discussed the work of our teams, and practically every day there are meetings or communication.”  Trump said afterward that the meeting was “good” and reiterated his call for the war to end.