Zelenskyy Announces New US Talks on Ukraine as Diplomacy Intensifies Ahead of European Summit

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday that a new round of talks with US officials will take place on Friday and Saturday in the United States, as diplomatic efforts to end the war with Russia accelerate ahead of a European summit expected to focus on Ukraine’s financing for the next two years. Speaking to reporters, Zelenskyy said the Ukrainian delegation was already en route to the US, adding that American officials were expecting them and that European representatives could also join the discussions.

The announcement follows negotiations earlier this week in Berlin involving Ukrainian, US, and European officials, where talks centered on security guarantees for Ukraine and territorial issues. The upcoming meetings are expected to be held in the US state of Florida, ahead of separate Russian-American talks. While participants have not been officially confirmed, Politico reported that the US side would include Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, an unofficial advisor to President Donald Trump, with Russia represented by Kirill Dmitriev, a close confidant of President Vladimir Putin.

Zelenskyy also addressed discussions with Washington regarding possible elections in Ukraine, saying they were limited to the presidency and did not include parliamentary or local elections. He said the US had raised the issue of holding presidential elections and that he had expressed readiness under appropriate conditions, while noting resistance in parliament to proposals such as online voting. Zelenskyy added that although no concrete legislative work on elections had begun, he had conveyed his position clearly to lawmakers.