Zelensky: Ukraine and Russia to Hold Peace Talks Days After US Midterms

Ukraine and Russia are expected to hold peace talks within days of the U.S. midterm elections, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Wednesday.

The summit, potentially taking place in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, would mark the first face-to-face discussions between the two nations since President Trump lifted sanctions on Moscow. Zelensky indicated the talks could occur as early as November 10, a week after the U.S. midterm elections.

Zelensky clarified that these initial discussions would be at a "technical level," but expressed hope they could lead to a trilateral summit involving himself, President Trump, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. He made these remarks during a press conference in The Hague with Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten.

Speaking from Kyiv, Zelensky also addressed criticisms from President Trump, who has accused him of obstructing a peace deal. "If the United States, our strong partner, understands that Putin’s goal is to occupy us and to destroy us, they can’t be on Putin’s side," Zelensky stated, while affirming his readiness for negotiations.

"We are ready to speak, we are ready for negotiations, any kind of format, we are even ready to speak about any kind of topics, sensitive topics for us," he continued. "It may not be fair even to discuss some topics, but we are ready, because I don’t want to show that we are stopping the negotiation process."

The potential talks come amid a backdrop of strained relations between Washington and Kyiv. President Trump recently commented that "Russia had been fine on Ukraine," and his envoy, Steve Witkoff, referred to Putin as "a humanitarian" during previous peace talks, actions that angered Ukrainian officials.

Zelensky described Putin as "a deeply Soviet person" whose mentality and actions toward Ukraine are understood by those in Ukraine who lived through the Soviet era. "Putin’s personal attitude to Ukraine is that he hates us. He thinks that all our territory is his territory and his personal goal is to occupy it and to destroy it," Zelensky said.

In a separate briefing, Zelensky rejected President Trump's calls for Ukraine to hold new elections, emphasizing his duty to defend his country amidst the ongoing conflict. "When he says something about Ukraine, I respond because I have a responsibility to defend our country," Zelensky stated.

Meanwhile, recent communications between President Putin and European leaders reportedly focused on historical narratives rather than immediate peace efforts. According to the Financial Times, Putin engaged in an extensive lecture on Slavic history during a call with Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, with discussions on a cease-fire being minimal.