Zelenskyy names U.S., UAE and Saudi Arabia as possible venues for trilateral talks with Trump and Putin

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed on October 17 that the United States is contemplating a proposal for a trilateral meeting involving Ukraine, the United States, and Russia. Zelenskyy mentioned that the U.S. has expressed interest in hosting the discussions in the Middle East, specifically in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

Additionally, the U.S. is exploring locations within the country itself, such as during the G20 summit taking place in Miami from December 14-15. European officials have also initiated talks regarding potential venues, though no confirmations have been received from either Russia or the United States. The president emphasized that there is still uncertainty surrounding the meeting and that it is premature to discuss possible outcomes.

Zelenskyy has previously expressed openness to directly meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin; however, the Kremlin has firmly rejected such negotiations, stating that talks at the leader level can only occur in Moscow. In September, Bloomberg cited an unnamed source suggesting that former President Donald Trump had proposed a meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin during their side meeting at the United Nations General Assembly.

This report was denied by Ukraine's Presidential Office. Analyst Abbas Gallyamov suggested that only significant pressure from Trump, including maximum sanctions, delivery of advanced military systems, and support for strikes on Russian soil, could potentially persuade Putin to consider an in-person meeting.