The United States has proposed that the United Arab Emirates host a trilateral meeting with Ukraine and Russia as Washington looks for a new diplomatic path toward ending the war that has lasted more than four years.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday that Washington had suggested holding a technical level meeting involving the three countries, with the UAE proposed as a possible venue. Kyiv is now waiting for Washington to provide a date for the talks.
The proposal comes after Zelenskiy met US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The two leaders discussed efforts to end the war, which began with Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The proposed meeting would represent another attempt to bring the key parties closer to direct negotiations after years of fighting and repeated diplomatic efforts. While previous discussions have involved different combinations of US, Ukrainian and Russian officials, a trilateral format would put all three sides into the same diplomatic process.
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What would the UAE talks seek to achieve?
Zelenskiy said Ukrainian negotiators had already met with their US counterparts after his discussion with Trump to work through specific details.
According to the Ukrainian president, Kyiv expects to discuss those details with European partners, while Washington will engage with Moscow. The sides would then return to the issue within about 10 days with either a new perspective or a concrete result.
The Kremlin has also said that a trilateral meeting involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States could take place soon, suggesting that the proposal has at least entered the diplomatic discussion on both sides.
However, the precise agenda, participants and objectives of the proposed meeting remain unclear. A technical level meeting could focus on specific negotiating issues rather than immediately attempting to resolve the broader political disputes surrounding the war.
That distinction could matter. A meeting between the three countries would not necessarily mean that a comprehensive peace agreement is close. It could instead serve as a mechanism for testing positions, identifying areas where negotiations are possible and determining whether a wider diplomatic process can move forward.
Why is the UAE being considered?
The choice of the UAE as a possible venue would place the talks in the Gulf, away from the immediate European theatre of the conflict.
For Washington and Kyiv, the location could provide a neutral setting for preliminary discussions. For Moscow, participation would also indicate a willingness to engage with a US backed diplomatic initiative without requiring negotiations to take place directly in Europe.
The UAE has previously positioned itself as a diplomatic intermediary in international conflicts and has maintained relations with both Russia and Ukraine. Its selection would therefore fit into a broader pattern of Gulf states becoming venues for sensitive international negotiations.
Still, the location alone cannot resolve the fundamental differences between Moscow and Kyiv over territory, security guarantees and the future political and military relationship between Ukraine and the West.
Can Washington bring the sides closer?
The proposed trilateral format also highlights the central role Washington continues to play in efforts to end the war.
Zelenskiy said he had asked Trump to raise the Ukraine conflict during his discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who was visiting the United States. That request reflects Kyiv’s interest in involving major powers that could potentially influence Moscow’s calculations.
At the same time, Zelenskiy said he was still waiting for feedback from the US team, particularly on efforts to reduce tensions before winter.
The timing is significant for Ukraine and its European partners. Another winter would place renewed pressure on energy infrastructure and civilian populations, while the continuation of the conflict would maintain wider security and economic pressures across Europe.
Zelenskiy also warned European countries that Russia would continue what he described as hybrid attacks against them and said Ukraine had offered assistance. Moscow has rejected accusations that it is responsible for sabotage incidents reported in European countries.
What comes next?
For now, the proposed UAE meeting remains an initiative rather than a confirmed breakthrough. Washington still has to provide a date, while the participants would need to establish what the talks are intended to accomplish.
The next stage will therefore depend on whether the United States can translate the proposal into a meeting involving Russian and Ukrainian representatives and whether the three sides can identify areas for substantive discussion.
If the meeting takes place, its significance will depend less on the symbolism of bringing the parties together than on whether it produces concrete progress. The immediate test will be whether the proposed talks can create a basis for further negotiations or remain another diplomatic effort without an agreement to end the war.
With information from Reuters.
