Ukraine, U.S. and Russia Prepare New Trilateral Talks Within a Week

President Volodymyr Zelensky says Kyiv has delivered its proposals to Washington and is ready to take the steps needed to end the war. Air defense supplies and postwar security guarantees remain central to the discussions

Ukraine is preparing for another round of direct diplomatic engagement with Russia, with the United States expected to bring the two sides together for trilateral talks within days. President Volodymyr Zelensky said the meeting, involving delegations from all three countries, could take place in less than a week following a 90-minute conversation with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

The proposed meeting comes as Kyiv presses Washington on two fronts: accelerating efforts to end the war and securing the military support Ukraine says it still needs to defend itself. Zelensky said Ukraine had already handed its proposals to the American side and was prepared to take the necessary steps to move negotiations forward.

“Negotiations must proceed at full speed to end this war as quickly as possible,” he wrote in a post on X. “Ukraine is ready to take the necessary steps. Our proposals are clear, and we have delivered them to the American side.”

Air defense was among the issues raised during the conversation. Zelensky specifically called for additional interceptor missiles for Patriot systems, saying they were essential to protecting civilians from Russian attacks.

“We need interceptor missiles for Patriot systems to protect lives from Russian attacks,” he said.

The diplomatic agenda is also extending beyond the immediate prospects for negotiations. Zelensky said a meeting on Ukraine’s reconstruction was taking place in Brussels, with another discussion scheduled for the following day on security guarantees for Kyiv.

For the Ukrainian president, any agreement to end the fighting must be backed by commitments capable of protecting the country after the war. He described those guarantees as a fundamental condition of a lasting settlement, insisting that they must be genuinely robust.

“Peace has no alternative, and postwar security guarantees must be truly ironclad,” Zelensky said.

He also called for continued work on bilateral agreements between Kyiv and Washington, singling out a proposed deal on drones. Zelensky thanked the United States for its support for Ukraine’s independence and its diplomatic efforts, as preparations continue for a possible new negotiating format involving Moscow, Kyiv and Washington.

(Photo: © AndKronos)