Zelenskiy says talks format may include Russia, Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the United States is offering a potential new format for peace talks between Ukraine and Russia that would be attended by the United States and possibly European envoys.
Zelenskiy said that Ukraine will decide on the format when it becomes clear whether the bilateral talks with US negotiators, which resumed on Friday, are positive or not, and added that he plans to discuss the issue with the head of the Ukrainian delegation, Rustem Umerov.
Speaking to reporters in Kiev, US President Donald Trump did not go into detail about what kind of format his administration was proposing.
Peace is better than war, but it has no price because we have already paid a high price. What is important to us is a just and lasting peace; this peace cannot be violated by any other whim of Putin or any Putin-like figure. Having strong security is extremely important…— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 20, 2025
“The USA said that they would hold a separate meeting with representatives of Russia. And as far as I understand, they suggested the following format: Ukraine, America, Russia, and since there are representatives of Europe there, probably Europe too,” Zelenskiy said.
Later on Saturday, Zelenskiy said he would support the offer for three-way talks if Ukraine facilitated more prisoner exchanges and paved the way for meetings of the country’s leaders.
Speaking to local journalists in Kiev, Zelenskiy said, “America is now proposing to hold a tripartite meeting with national security advisors (America, Ukraine and Russia).”
“If such a meeting could be held now to allow agreement on the exchange of prisoners of war or a tripartite meeting of leaders, we would support such proposals. Let’s see how things go.”
US negotiators were due to meet Russian officials in Florida on Saturday.
Ukraine and Russia have not held face-to-face talks since July, but U.S.-backed shuttle diplomacy aimed at ending almost four years of war in Ukraine has intensified in recent weeks.
Umerov said Ukrainian and European representatives held a series of meetings with their US counterparts in the United States on Friday and agreed to resume contacts soon.
Eight people were killed and 27 people were injured in Russia’s missile attack on the port infrastructure in Odesa in southern Ukraine, according to a statement from the Ukrainian emergency service on Saturday.
Elsewhere, Ukrainian drones hit a Russian oil platform, the military patrol ship Okhotnik and other facilities, the Ukrainian General Staff said on Saturday.
It was stated that the ship was patrolling near an oil and gas production platform in the Caspian Sea.
Ukrainian forces said they were still trying to clarify the extent of the damage.
with AP
