Zelenskyy says US seeks Ukraine-Russia technical talks by October’s end

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at a news conference in Kyiv on Oct 4 that the United States was seeking technical-level talks with Ukraine and Russia by the end of October, and that Kyiv was ready to take part. He appeared at the news conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.¹²³

Proposed format and venue

Zelenskyy said he had spoken directly with American negotiators about preparations for a trilateral meeting. Washington was proposing talks at a technical rather than political level, he said, adding that Ukraine supported the proposed timetable. The Kyiv Independent also reported that Zelenskyy described Ukraine as ready and willing to participate.²³

Ukraine is open to holding the meeting in the United Arab Emirates or in another country suggested by Washington, Zelenskyy said. The Straits Times and Al Jazeera reported that the UAE had hosted earlier US-mediated discussions, although The Straits Times said previous rounds had not produced tangible progress towards peace.¹²³

Al Jazeera reported that Washington was in contact with Moscow over the plan. In September, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia did not exclude the possibility of three-way talks in October, according to The Straits Times. That position stopped short of confirming that Moscow would attend the proposed meeting.¹²

Possible agenda

According to The Kyiv Independent, the talks were expected to cover an energy proposal and the potential restoration of the Black Sea route for grain shipments. According to the outlet, US President Donald Trump was pressing Russia and Ukraine to stop attacks on each other’s energy facilities, while Ukraine would accept such an arrangement only if Russia also suspended its attacks.³

The Straits Times described the proposed negotiations as an effort to end the 4½-year war. The newspaper said US-brokered peace efforts had made little progress after Washington turned its focus to the conflict in Iran. Al Jazeera similarly reported that US attempts to broker a ceasefire had been paused since Washington launched that war.¹²

Attacks continue alongside diplomacy

The diplomatic proposal comes as both Russia and Ukraine have said they will increase long-range attacks against military and related targets, Al Jazeera reported. Russia says its attacks target Ukraine’s energy system ahead of winter, while Zelenskyy alleges that Moscow has struck civilian sites such as data centres and mobile-network infrastructure.¹

Ukraine says Russia has intensified aerial attacks across the country. The Kyiv Independent reported continuing Russian strikes, including attacks lasting several days against Kyiv and other cities, and said Russia had shown no indication that it would pause attacks on Ukraine’s power grid.²³

Al Jazeera also reported that India wanted to expand its role in efforts to mediate an end to the conflict. It said India had become more involved in recent months in discussions concerning Black Sea shipping, grain and energy exports, and possible arrangements to prevent attacks.¹