The trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia and the US are scheduled for November 4, and the most likely venue for the meeting is Abu Dhabi. This was stated by the Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk, quoted by The Guardian.
According to him, the date has not yet been finally confirmed. The leader of the parliamentary group of “Servant of the People“ in the Verkhovna Rada, David Arakhamia, also did not confirm that the talks will take place on November 4. He said that the parties are still finalizing the date and are awaiting confirmation from the US delegation mediating the talks.
“We should have no illusions“, Tusk said, adding that he would maintain contact with all those who believe in the possibility of an agreement or at least a ceasefire before winter.Stub and Støre's conversation with Putin
Tusk's statement came after a telephone conversation between Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The conversation was devoted to the war in Ukraine and diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.
Tusk said that the contact was held after consultations with him, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the US side. According to the Polish prime minister, the European assessment of the possibility of achieving progress at the Abu Dhabi meeting is marked by “very cautious optimism“.
He called on Stubb and Støre to be vigilant in their talks with Putin and stressed that he was extremely cautious about interacting with Russia.
Kyiv confirmed preparations for a meeting in November
After the conversation with Stubb and Støre, Volodymyr Zelensky discussed preparations for a trilateral meeting between Ukrainian, American and Russian teams. The Ukrainian presidency announced that the meeting was planned for November, without specifying a specific date.
Zelensky said that the Finnish and Norwegian leaders had insisted on real steps to de-escalate with Putin, including in terms of energy and infrastructure security. He stressed that Ukraine needs peace and that Russia must stop dragging out the war.
Thus, November 4 remains a pre-specified date, but final confirmation from the participants in the negotiations is still missing.
Sources: unian.net, theguardian.com