Zelensky speaks with US envoys ahead of trilateral talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday said he spoke with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law, ahead of trilateral talks with his country, the U.S. and Russia.

Zelensky said the three spoke for 90 minutes in anticipation for the talks slated to be held Nov. 10-11. He said the meeting was held in Brussels, Belgium, with teams from the U.S., the European Union, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, NATO, the World Bank “and representatives of the global business community.”

“The meeting focused on postwar recovery,” he wrote on the social platform X. “There will be another meeting in Brussels tomorrow on security guarantees for Ukraine. The negotiations must move forward at full throttle to bring this war to an end as quickly as possible.”

“Ukraine is ready to take the necessary steps,” he continued. “Our proposals are clear, and we have given them to the American side. Air defense is an important priority, and we discussed this as well.”

He said Ukraine was in need of Patriot missile systems to “protect lives from Russian attacks,” and called for work with the U.S. to continue working “on each of the bilateral tracks.”

“Peace has no alternative, and postwar security guarantees must be truly cast-iron,” his post concludes. “We are working to make this happen! Glory to Ukraine!”

Witkoff on Monday announced the talks will be held in Abu Dhabi next week. He said that talks with Zelensky and European partners would focus on Ukraine’s security and postwar reconstruction, as well as “economic opportunities to support Ukraine’s reconstruction.”

The talks come as Trump pushes to end the Russia-Ukraine war as it approaches its five-year mark since Russia invaded the European country. Zelensky has warned that Russia has sought to launch new strikes that would target Ukraine’s “energy and logistics.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to restart the talks next week “in principle,” his foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov told reporters after a meeting with Witkoff last month.

Putin said in televised remarks before the meeting that he was ready to consider prospects for the restoration of U.S.-Russia ties as well, and to discuss the Iran war, The Associated Press reported. Ushakov said that “large-scale joint economic projects that offer significant prospects for cooperation” between the U.S. and Russia were also discussed in detail during the meeting with Witkoff.