Ukraine peace talks: Kyiv and Moscow prepare for major first today | World | News
Ukrainian officials are to join their Russian and US counterparts for a trilateral meeting in the United Arab Emirates today. This is believed to be the first time Ukrainian and Russian diplomats sit at the same negotiating table with US officials to discuss a possible end of the war since Vladimir Putin ordered the illegal invasion of Ukraine.
The Ukrainian president suggested they were a “surprise” organised by the American contingent. He said: “I hope that the Emirates know about it. Yes. Sometimes we have such surprises from our American side.”
He also met with the US president before his speech, describing the interaction as “positive” and thanking Mr Trump for “finding time for us”. He said: “My team spoke with the American team before my meeting with President Trump.
“My team spend a lot of time with Americans, and even I wanted to ask president Trump to give them American passports because I think that they really spend a lot of time [there].
“I think that the meeting is very important, we need a boat, I hope this is the boat, this is the ship to peace.”
He said: “The Russians have to be ready for compromises, not only Ukraine… It’s all about the land. This is the issue which is not solved yet.”
The US currently proposes to turn Ukraine’s industrialised area of Donbas into a demilitarised and free economic zone, with security guarantees for Kyiv.
Mr Zelensky added that such security guarantees had been agreed upon with Mr Trump in the event of a deal, but it would have to go before Congress and Ukrainian parliament before signing.
