Trilateral peace talks with Russia, US negotiators to begin in November, Zelensky says - The Kyiv Independent

The planned talks would bring together negotiation teams from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States. They are expected to begin in Abu Dhabi during the first half of November. Zelensky presented the meeting as the opening step toward possible peace discussions.

The process would start with technical-level negotiations rather than an immediate meeting between presidents. Zelensky said Ukraine is ready to meet any day, even sooner, but claimed Russia had prevented an expected October meeting by giving another reason not to meet.

The talks are not yet a completed peace process. They are a proposed starting point, and the schedule depends on whether Russia participates. If the technical discussions produce progress, Zelensky said the next step could be a leaders' meeting involving him, Vladimir Putin, and Donald Trump.

Beginning at the technical level means negotiation teams, rather than national leaders, would handle the first discussions. They would examine proposals, clarify positions, and work through practical details. The article does not list the teams' exact assignments, so their precise mandate is not specified.

This structure places an initial layer between the countries' governments and their presidents. Zelensky said the process would begin with teams from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States meeting in Abu Dhabi. Their discussions would determine whether the process is productive enough to justify a higher-level meeting.

The approach matters because a leaders' summit would come only after preliminary progress. Zelensky believes the most important issues require presidential decisions, but technical talks could prepare those issues. The article does not say what agreement the teams must reach before leaders meet.

Progress by the negotiating teams could trigger a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and U.S. President Donald Trump. The technical talks are therefore designed as a first stage, not the final decision-making forum.

The mechanism is straightforward: teams would first test proposals and work through details. If those discussions prove productive, the countries could move to a leaders' meeting. Zelensky said the process must move from trilateral technical negotiations to talks among the three presidents.

That move matters because Zelensky believes key issues can be resolved only by national leaders. The article does not identify every issue, but it specifically highlights security guarantees and European participation as important concerns. For now, the leaders' meeting remains conditional on progress and on the broader process moving forward.

Zelensky says Ukraine would need a large Ukrainian army after any peace agreement. He also says that force would need funding for at least 10 years. The article does not provide a troop number, budget, or detailed spending plan, so the scale and cost cannot be quantified from the text.

The stated reason is security after a deal. A continuing military would remain part of Ukraine's protection once fighting formally ended. Zelensky raised this requirement alongside his demand for robust security guarantees, showing that he views the postwar military as central to making peace durable.

The funding period would extend well beyond the signing of an agreement. That means negotiations would need to address not only ending the conflict, but also sustaining Ukraine's defense afterward. The article does not say which countries would provide the money or how the burden would be divided.

Security guarantees would be intended to support Ukraine's safety after any peace agreement. Zelensky stressed that they must be robust, suggesting that ending active fighting alone would not settle Ukraine's security concerns. The article does not define the guarantees or specify who would provide them.

European participation matters because Zelensky wants Europe included in the talks, not left outside decisions about Ukraine's future. He also said Ukraine would need a large army funded for at least 10 years. Together, these points place long-term protection at the center of Ukraine's negotiating position.

The issue could shape whether Ukraine views a peace deal as workable. A settlement would need to address both formal guarantees and continuing military support, according to Zelensky's comments. The article does not say whether Russia, the United States, or European governments have accepted these demands.

Restrictions on Starlink and Starshield can limit the speed and capacity of Ukraine's military communications. Zelensky said the speed restrictions remained in effect and that service had not been restored. Starshield is the militarized version of Starlink described in the article.

The key mechanism is reduced connectivity. With speed caps, Kyiv's ability to communicate, coordinate strikes against Russian targets, and defend against deadly Russian jet-powered drones has been diminished. The article also says interceptor missiles for protection against Russian ballistic missiles remain delayed, adding another reported military constraint.

The disruption has continued since mid-October. Ukrainian and U.S. officials were apparently discussing how to resolve it, but no one had publicly accepted responsibility for the decision. The article says the uncertainty is politically toxic and could also have serious commercial consequences for SpaceX, which operates Starlink and Starshield.

The United States has several forms of influence around the negotiations. The article says Trump threatened to withhold aid from Kyiv, lifted sanctions on Russian oil exports, and has been involved in discussions over Ukraine's communications. These choices can affect both battlefield conditions and the pressure surrounding peace talks.

Military aid supports Ukraine's ability to defend itself, while sanctions affect Russia's economic pressure. Starlink and Starshield support communications, strike coordination, and defense against attacks, so restrictions can diminish Ukraine's military capacity. The article also says supplies of interceptor missiles remain delayed, adding to the pressure.

This influence can create tensions because Ukraine needs strong U.S. support while seeking security guarantees and a durable agreement. Zelensky said he wanted stronger, friendlier relations with Washington. At the same time, he described communications restrictions and delayed missiles while Trump criticized him and changed Russia-related sanctions policy.