‘It’s entirely focused on the territory’: Zelensky states Ukraine will engage with the US and Russia

President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced that trilateral discussions aimed at concluding the conflict in Ukraine are set to occur with Russia and the US in the United Arab Emirates, following his meeting with President Donald Trump in Davos.

As diplomatic efforts appeared to gain momentum, Trump remarked that his discussion with Zelensky was productive, while US envoy Steve Witkoff traveled to Moscow to engage with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

Witkoff, accompanied by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner on his journey to Moscow, expressed optimism regarding a potential agreement.

“I believe we have narrowed it down to a single issue, and we’ve explored various aspects of that issue, indicating that it’s achievable,” he stated prior to his departure from the Swiss venue.

Trump’s envoy did not disclose specifics about the remaining hurdle; however, Zelensky subsequently clarified that the unresolved matter pertained to the future status of eastern Ukraine.

He emphasized that the forthcoming discussions in the Emirates would include Russia, alongside the US and Ukraine, stating that “the Russians must be prepared to make concessions, just like Ukraine”.

“Everything revolves around territory. This remains the issue that has yet to be resolved,” Zelensky told journalists at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, noting that trilateral negotiations might offer the two parties “options”.

The US’s proposal for Ukraine’s industrial region in Donbas involves a demilitarized and economically independent zone in exchange for security assurances for Kyiv.

“If both parties are committed to finding a resolution, we will achieve it,” Witkoff stated, clarifying that he was scheduled to proceed to Abu Dhabi after Moscow, where working groups would address military concerns and economic development.

Zelensky also informed reporters that he had reached a consensus with Trump regarding future US security guarantees for Ukraine contingent on a deal. He provided no specifics but mentioned that it would require approval from both the US Congress and the Ukrainian parliament before being finalized.

Although he noted that the “Coalition of the Willing”, led by the UK and France, had committed troops to monitor the agreement, he was firm in stating that a Trump guarantee would also be essential: “No security assurances are effective without the US.”

Earlier, he utilized his address in Davos to critique his European allies for their lack of “political resolve” in responding to Russia.

“There are countless internal disputes and unspoken matters that prevent Europe from unifying and communicating candidly enough to discover genuine solutions,” he remarked, contrasting it with the US under Trump.

“President Trump embraces his identity, claiming to love Europe, but he won’t heed this type of Europe,” he noted.

The Ukrainian leader had traversed overnight to reach Davos.

He had originally canceled his visit to manage the consequences of Russian attacks on Kyiv’s energy infrastructure, which have left vast areas of the capital without heating, water, or electricity during the coldest winter in nearly four years of Russia’s full-scale conflict. Thousands of residential buildings are still without heating.

Zelensky indicated last month that a 20-point US strategy to terminate the conflict was 90% complete and that Ukraine’s position regarding Donbas in eastern Ukraine differed from Russia’s.

As part of the US 20-point initiative, Zelensky has proposed pulling back troops by up to 40km (25 miles) from the 25% of the Donetsk region still under Ukrainian control to establish an economic zone in Donbas, contingent upon Russia reciprocating.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated on Thursday that dialogue with the American representatives would persist “on the Ukrainian situation and other interconnected matters” while he refrained from confirming whether he shared Witkoff’s optimism for reaching an agreement.

Putin is known to desire control over the entire area, and Russian forces have made slow advancements in the east over the past year.

Another significant point of contention that Zelensky highlighted last month was the future command of Ukraine’s vast Zaporizhzhia nuclear facility, which was taken by Russia in March 2022.

Zelensky humorously remarked that he hoped the Emirates were aware of the intended meeting, but underscored the seriousness of the discussions by naming several of his highest-ranking officials on the Ukrainian team participating.

The head of the national security and defense council, Rustem Umerov, was already in talks with US officials in Davos, alongside Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Zelensky’s office, and negotiator David Arakhamia. They will be joined by the chief of the general staff, Andrii Hnatov.