Ukraine–Russia

Zelenskyy says the US proposes a technical-level trilateral meeting with Ukraine and Russia by the end of October

DIPLOMACY
Location
Ukraine (remarks at a press conference in Kyiv; the post names no venue for the proposed meeting)
Actors
Ukraine · Russia
Importance
Notable

Speaking at a press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Kyiv, relayed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's own account in a post published on 4 October 2026 at 14:07 UTC, Zelenskyy said the American negotiating team had spoken with him the previous day and that the American side is in contact with both Ukraine and Russia and is proposing a trilateral meeting at the technical level by the end of October. He said he had confirmed Ukraine is ready to support holding such a meeting by then, that Ukraine is open to the United Arab Emirates or another country proposed by the American side, that the same proposal will go or has gone to Russia, and that Ukraine will wait for the response and responds positively to negotiations. He said there is no new information in this. The post gives no date for the meeting beyond the end of October, no participants, agenda or Russian reply, and was part 3 of 3 from the press conference; no official readout was read.

Why it matters

Ukraine's president said the US is proposing a technical-level trilateral meeting with Ukraine and Russia by the end of October, with the UAE or another country as venue, and that Ukraine is ready to support it.

Open image · Image attached to President Zelenskyy's post relaying part 3 of 3 from his press conference with Chancellor Merz; it was not verified against any official readout and does not depict the proposed meeting. · Credit: Volodymyr Zelenskyy (@ZelenskyyUa) · Verification: unverified

Verification: unverified

Evidence: Yesterday, I spoke with the American negotiating team ... the American side ... is proposing a trilateral meeting at the technical level by the end of October. From the press conference with Friedrich Merz. (3/3)

First-party account of Ukraine's president relaying his own press conference remarks, without an official readout. The US proposal is his description of what the American side told him; no US or Russian statement was read, no Russian reply is reported, and he says himself there is no new information in this.