US proposes new trilateral peace talks with Russia and Ukraine in UAE: Zelensky

The latest proposal therefore represents a further attempt to restart negotiations rather than confirmation of a peace deal. The date, format and agenda of any new trilateral meeting are yet to be finalised.

The United States has proposed a new trilateral meeting with Ukraine and Russia aimed at advancing efforts to end the war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday (September 25), with the UAE suggested as a possible venue.

Zelensky said that Kyiv was waiting for the US to provide a date.

Kremlin signals possible trilateral meeting

The Kremlin has also said a trilateral meeting involving Russia, Ukraine and the US could take place in the near future, although it said there were no specific details yet.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump had discussed the possibility of such a meeting during their call earlier this month. Moscow has previously indicated that it expects negotiations in a trilateral format to resume.

The latest proposal follows renewed US diplomatic efforts, including meetings by US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner with Russian and Ukrainian officials earlier this month. Ukrainian officials have described the effort as a restart of the diplomatic process.

UAE again emerges as peace-talk venue

The UAE has previously hosted US-Russia-Ukraine negotiations. Earlier trilateral discussions were held in Abu Dhabi, while another round took place in Geneva. Those talks did not produce a major breakthrough, with territorial and other core issues remaining unresolved.

The UAE's possible role comes as Washington seeks to revive negotiations after diplomatic efforts lost momentum during the escalation of the Iran conflict. Recent US proposals have also included a possible halt to attacks on energy infrastructure and reopening a Black Sea grain corridor.

Zelensky seeks China's help

Zelensky also said on Friday that he had asked Trump to encourage Chinese President Xi Jinping to use Beijing's influence with Moscow to help end the war.

Zelensky said he had not yet received feedback from the White House on Trump's discussions with Xi but expected to learn more.

He has also said he is ready to meet Putin as part of efforts to end the conflict, while continuing to seek additional US air-defence support for Ukraine.

Major hurdles remain

Despite the renewed diplomatic activity, the central disagreements between Moscow and Kyiv remain unresolved, particularly over territory and security arrangements. Previous US-led efforts have produced talks but no comprehensive peace agreement.