Trilateral talks on war to be held in November - Zelensky

Ukraine, Russia, and the United States have agreed to hold trilateral, technical-level peace talks in Abu Dhabi during the first half of November. The discussions are meant to address issues involved in ending the war, especially the security arrangements of a possible final peace deal.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said he spoke with US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff after their meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later confirmed that the talks were planned and would have a trilateral format.

The article does not explain why Abu Dhabi was selected. The meeting is important because Zelensky wants technical discussions to lead quickly to a meeting between the countries' leaders. He also said Europe should be involved and warned that progress would depend heavily on Russia.

“Trilateral” means three sides are involved: Ukraine, Russia, and the United States. “Technical-level” means negotiators will work through detailed issues rather than conduct a meeting led directly by the three countries' presidents. The article says the planned talks will focus on arrangements connected with a final peace deal.

For example, Russian President Vladimir Putin said trilateral talks would address security arrangements. Zelensky said any agreement would require strong security guarantees for Ukraine and funding for 10 years to maintain its army. These are the kinds of details negotiators could examine before leaders decide whether to accept them.

A leaders' meeting would be a separate, higher-level step. Zelensky said it was critical for technical discussions to be followed by such a meeting. The article does not state exactly which leaders would attend or what decisions they would make, but it presents their meeting as necessary for final political progress.

The article says the war is now in its fifth year. It does not provide a precise start date or a total number of soldiers, weapons, or dollars. Instead, it gives the duration of the conflict and describes the long-term support Ukraine says it would need under a peace agreement.

Zelensky said any final deal should include funding for 10 years to maintain the Ukrainian army. He linked that funding to strong security guarantees. The aim, as described in the article, is to ensure Ukraine can keep its military functioning after an agreement rather than rely only on a short-term arrangement.

The requested support shows that Ukraine is planning beyond an immediate ceasefire. Putin said possible trilateral talks should address final security arrangements, not a “short” truce. The article does not state how much money would be required, so the scale is measured in duration rather than a disclosed financial amount.

Security guarantees matter to Ukraine because a peace agreement would need to protect the country after fighting stops. Zelensky said guarantees must be strong, suggesting that a deal should address Ukraine's future security rather than merely pause the war. The article does not specify what form those guarantees would take.

Long-term funding would help maintain the Ukrainian army for 10 years. That request connects military readiness with the durability of peace. Ukraine is also still waiting for previously agreed air defence interceptors while facing nearly daily massive Russian drone and missile attacks, showing the continuing importance of military protection.

Zelensky therefore wants these commitments written into the final agreement. Putin said any trilateral talks should focus on security arrangements, not a short truce. The article does not say whether Russia or the United States has accepted Ukraine's demands, so their inclusion remains a negotiating issue.

If technical talks do not produce a ceasefire or a path to a leaders' agreement, the diplomatic process could stall. Zelensky stressed that continued efforts were needed to reach a ceasefire and end the war. He also said a similar meeting expected earlier had not materialised, showing that planned discussions are not guaranteed to happen.

Meanwhile, fighting and military pressure would continue. The article describes nearly daily massive Russian drone and missile attacks. Ukraine was also waiting for previously agreed air defence interceptors, while access to Starlink communications remained disputed. These problems could complicate Ukraine's defensive efforts.

The article does not predict a specific outcome if talks fail. It does make clear that technical discussions alone are not enough for Zelensky. He wants them followed by a meeting of the countries' leaders, with Europe involved, and wants a final deal containing security guarantees and long-term army funding.

The planned technical meeting is trilateral, involving Ukraine, Russia, and the United States. Zelensky nevertheless said Europe should also be involved in the talks. This shows that he does not view a three-party format as sufficient for the broader diplomatic process surrounding the war.

The article gives no detailed explanation of Europe's proposed role. It only records Zelensky's statement that European participation matters, alongside his call for continued diplomacy and a ceasefire. It does not identify which European countries would attend or describe any formal negotiating powers they would have.

Europe's involvement therefore remains an unresolved part of the process. The immediate plan is still for a trilateral technical meeting in Abu Dhabi in the first half of November. Zelensky hopes that meeting will be followed by talks among the countries' leaders, with Europe also participating in the wider effort.

Starlink and Starshield are satellite communication services operated by Elon Musk's SpaceX company. Ukraine uses the civilian Starlink system for communications but not for military operations. It uses Starshield, the military-grade service, for battlefield communications, mid-range strikes on Russian-occupied territory, and interceptor drones.

Reliable satellite access matters because Ukrainian forces use these systems to connect equipment and exchange information. The Wall Street Journal reported that Ukrainian equipment had been limited to slower connections, making some Ukrainian drones useless. Zelensky said speed restrictions were still in place, despite US assurances that they had been removed.

The dispute remained unresolved in the article. Donald Trump said Starshield was “back,” while Zelensky said speed had not been restored. US officials gave conflicting accounts about who ordered changes. Any continuing restriction could complicate Ukrainian defensive efforts, especially as Russia carries out nearly daily drone and missile attacks.