Zelensky discusses Abu Dhabi talks and air defence with US envoys Witkoff and Kushner

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a phone call on Wednesday, 4 November, with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, special envoys of the US president. The conversation lasted an hour and a half and focused on preparations for trilateral talks between Ukraine, the United States and Russia, which are due to take place in less than a week. Zelensky reported this on social media, and the news was relayed by the outlet European Pravda.

Preparing for the talks

Zelensky stressed that the pace of negotiations must be as intense as possible so that the war ends as soon as possible. In his words, Ukraine is ready for the necessary steps, its proposals are clear, and they have already been passed to the American side.

Witkoff had earlier announced that the trilateral talks would be held on 10–11 November in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. They are expected to concentrate on next steps towards peace.

Meetings in Brussels

The Ukrainian president said a meeting on post-war reconstruction took place in Brussels on Wednesday. It brought together Ukrainian, US, European Union, French, British and German teams, along with representatives of NATO, the World Bank and the global business community. Another meeting in Brussels, on security guarantees for Ukraine, is planned for Thursday.

Air defence

Air defence was also on the agenda. Zelensky said Ukraine needs interceptors for Patriot systems in order to protect lives from Russian strikes. He also called for continued work on every bilateral track with the US, including the Drone Deals format.

Zelensky thanked the United States for supporting Ukraine's independence, its people and diplomatic efforts. He said there is no alternative to peace and that post-war security guarantees must be truly ironclad.

Rustem Umerov, head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, had earlier spoken about the Brussels meetings on Ukraine's recovery and its financing in 2027.