Zelensky announces trilateral Ukraine, U.S., Russia talks in UAE

A trilateral meeting involving U.S., Ukrainian, and Russian delegations will be held in the United Arab Emirates, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said while answering questions after his appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday.

The talks are scheduled for January 23–24, Zelensky said, adding that this would be the first such meeting at a technical level.

He also said that U.S. negotiators are traveling to Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Zelensky, they had been waiting for his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Davos to conclude. “Now they will leave, and my team will meet with the American team. I think this will be the first trilateral meeting in the Emirates. I believe it will take place tomorrow and the day after tomorrow — a two-day meeting,” Zelensky said.

Talks between Putin and U.S. representatives — President Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner — are scheduled for the evening of January 22. This will be the seventh meeting between Putin and Witkoff.

Earlier on January 22, Trump and Zelensky met in Davos. Their talks lasted nearly an hour and included a brief one-on-one conversation. Both sides described the meeting as “good,” but neither offered substantive details about the discussions.

Speaking to reporters afterward, Trump said that negotiations were ongoing and that much work remained. “We’re meeting with Russia, that’ll take place tomorrow. We’re going to be meeting with President Putin,” he said, adding that “everybody wants to have the war end.”