Ukraine's president said Sunday that his country is ready to hold trilateral talks with the United States and Russia this month, potentially in the United Arab Emirates or another US-proposed venue.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy made the comments during a news conference in Kyiv alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. He said Ukraine supports a swift timeline to return to negotiations aimed at ending the conflict, which has lasted over four and a half years.
US efforts to broker a ceasefire paused after Washington shifted focus to its conflict with Iran. The US is now pushing for technical-level talks by the end of October, according to Zelenskyy. He confirmed that the UAE, which hosted previous negotiations, could again serve as the meeting location. "I confirmed to [the US] that our side is ready to support this timeline," Zelenskyy said, noting Kyiv remains open to the UAE or "another country proposed by the American side."
Washington has been in contact with Moscow about the plan, Zelenskyy said. The Kremlin stated last month that it did not rule out three-way talks this month.
Even as both sides signal willingness to discuss ending the war, Russia and Ukraine have also announced plans to escalate long-range attacks on military and related targets. Moscow says it is targeting Ukraine's energy sector as winter approaches. Last year, similar attacks cut power and heating for days when temperatures dropped to minus 20 degrees Celsius.
Zelenskyy said he was "amazed" by Russia's "savage desire to escalate the situation every day." He accused Moscow of targeting "civilian infrastructure, including data centres and mobile network facilities." He said he was surprised by the specific tactics Russia employs, though not by Russia's broader approach to the conflict.
Separately, India said Sunday that it aims to increase its role in mediating an end to the conflict. Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, speaking at the Munich Security Conference in New Delhi, said India has become more involved in recent months, specifically regarding shipping in the Black Sea, which has been disrupted by mines and attacks on commercial vessels. India is also discussing grain and energy exports and "non-attack possibilities," Jaishankar said.