Davos, January 23, 2026 – The Europe Today: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday announced that trilateral talks involving Ukraine, the United States and Russia are scheduled to take place on Friday and Saturday in the United Arab Emirates, as diplomatic efforts to address the ongoing conflict gather momentum.
Zelenskyy made the announcement while speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, shortly after holding a bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump. He said the Ukrainian negotiating team had engaged with its US counterparts prior to his meeting with Trump, and that the American delegation was set to travel onward to Moscow, according to media reports.
“The American team is leaving for Moscow today. They were waiting for our meeting with President Trump. Now they are going, and my team will meet with the American team, and I think this will be the first trilateral meeting in the Emirates; it will take place tomorrow and the day after tomorrow,” Zelenskyy said.
He described the planned discussions as an important initial step at the tactical level, adding that all sides would need to demonstrate flexibility for progress to be achieved.
“Russia must be ready for compromises. Everyone must be ready, not just Ukraine. This is important for us. We’ll see what the outcome is,” he said.
Trump, for his part, characterized his meeting with Zelenskyy in Davos as “very good.” He also noted that the two leaders did not discuss the possibility of Ukraine joining the “Board of Peace” initiative he is seeking to establish, adding that none of Washington’s traditional Western European allies has so far joined the body.
The planned trilateral talks in the UAE mark a rare forum involving representatives from Kyiv, Washington and Moscow, highlighting renewed diplomatic engagement amid continued international efforts to de-escalate the conflict.
