Zelensky Confirms US–Russia–Ukraine Talks, Says War Hinges on Control of Land

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed that trilateral talks involving Ukraine, the United States and Russia will take place in the United Arab Emirates, with negotiations focused on resolving the central dispute over territory in eastern Ukraine. The announcement came after Zelensky’s meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos, amid accelerating diplomatic activity around a possible peace agreement.

The U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, traveling to Moscow alongside Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, said he was optimistic that a deal was within reach. “We’ve got it down to one issue,” Witkoff said, calling the remaining sticking point solvable. Zelensky later clarified that the unresolved matter is the future status of Donbas, Ukraine’s industrial heartland, where Russia demands control and Ukraine insists on sovereignty.

“It’s all about the land,” Zelensky told reporters in Davos, stressing that Russia must also be ready to compromise, not just Ukraine. He said discussions in the Emirates could offer “variants” for both sides, including a U.S. proposal for a demilitarised and free-economic zone in Donbas in exchange for strong security guarantees for Ukraine.

Zelensky revealed that he and Trump had reached an agreement on future U.S. security guarantees should a deal be struck, though details would still require approval from both the U.S. Congress and Ukraine’s parliament. He also said that the “Coalition of the Willing,” led by the UK and France, was prepared to deploy forces to monitor any agreement — but emphasized that no arrangement would work without a U.S. backstop.

The Ukrainian president also used his Davos speech to criticize European leaders for what he called a lack of “political will” to confront Russia. He contrasted this with Trump, saying the U.S. president was more decisive in pushing for a solution. Zelensky had traveled overnight to reach Davos despite widespread Russian attacks on Kyiv’s power infrastructure, which have left large parts of the capital without heating, water or electricity during one of the harshest winters since the full-scale invasion began.

The U.S. 20-point peace plan — which Zelensky says is 90% complete — includes a proposal for Ukraine to withdraw troops up to 40km from parts of Donetsk it still controls, if Russia does the same. However, major obstacles remain, including control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, one of the world’s largest, seized by Russia in 2022.

The Kremlin has confirmed that conversations with American envoys will continue but refrained from expressing the same optimism as the U.S. delegation. Russia has advanced slowly in eastern Ukraine over the past year, and President Vladimir Putin is believed to still seek full control of the region.

Zelensky said some of his top security and military officials — including Rustem Umerov, Kyrylo Budanov, David Arakhamia, and General Andrii Hnatov — will form Ukraine’s core negotiating team for the upcoming talks, underscoring the seriousness of the effort. He joked that he hoped the UAE had been informed about hosting the high-stakes meeting.

With both sides entrenched and global pressure mounting, expectations for the UAE talks are high — but whether land, security and political guarantees can align remains the central question that will decide the war’s next phase.