Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on October 17 that the United States had proposed three-way talks with Ukraine and Russia. The proposal offers a possible format for peace negotiations, but he said neither Moscow nor Washington had confirmed the meeting.

Zelensky said he was ready to negotiate anywhere and in any format. He listed bilateral and trilateral talks among the options, saying that securing peace mattered more than the number of participants.

Several venues under consideration

The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia were among the possible locations Washington had raised, Zelensky said. Another option was to meet in the United States during the G20 summit in December 2026.

He also left open the possibility of a meeting in a European country. Dutch news outlet Transport Online, citing the Ukrainian state news agency Ukrinform, identified Miami as the potential US location during the summit.

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The proposal concerns a meeting involving Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the United States participating. Its date, venue, full list of participants and agenda remain unsettled.

Separate talks with Washington

Zelensky said Ukraine was also prepared to hold separate talks with the American side in Ukraine or Europe. If Washington preferred a meeting in the United States, he said, it could invite the Ukrainian delegation.

Vietnamese newspaper Nhan Dan reported that Rustem Umerov and US special envoy Jared Kushner met on October 16. They discussed the possibility of holding bilateral talks soon, according to the report.

Accounts differed on that timetable: Zelensky said Washington had signalled a possible meeting the following week, while the Vietnamese report mentioned talks as early as the week of October 16.

Europe pursues a parallel track

Zelensky said European countries were beginning contacts concerning a possible meeting with Russia. He also called for Europe to develop its own negotiating arrangements.

He said a separate European track would not exclude other parties from negotiations. American efforts would continue in parallel, while Ukraine sought several routes towards a possible peace settlement.

Zelensky also said he planned separate discussions with Turkish President Erdoğan about maritime and food security. He planned talks with representatives of Middle Eastern countries as well.