US-Ukraine-Russia talks to begin in UAE from Friday: Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Thursday that U.S., Russian, and Ukrainian officials will hold the first trilateral talks in the United Arab Emirates. The two-day meeting is set to begin Friday, following Zelenskyy's address at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Thursday that US, Russian, and Ukrainian officials will hold the first trilateral talks in the United Arab Emirates. The two-day trilateral meeting is set to begin Friday, following Zelensky's address at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

According to an AFP report, "It will be the first trilateral meeting in the Emirates, tomorrow and the day after," Zelenskyy said. He added that Russia must be ready for compromises.

The announcement follows Zelenskyy's meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at Davos, which he called "productive and substantive."

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In an X post, Zelenskyy said the leaders reviewed their teams' work, with meetings or communications nearly every day, and that documents are now better prepared. The talks covered Ukraine's air defense; Zelenskyy noted their prior meeting strengthened sky protection and expressed hope to reinforce it further. He thanked Trump for a previous package of air defense missiles, requested another, and stressed that this protects lives, builds resilience, and supports joint diplomatic efforts.

Earlier today, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on X that the French Navy boarded a Russian-bound oil tanker on the high seas in the Mediterranean Sea. Subject to international sanctions and suspected of flying a false flag, the vessel was intercepted in a coordinated operation backed by several allies.

U.S President Trump, meanwhile, described his one-hour meeting with Zelenskyy as "good" and stressed that the Ukraine war "has to end." "We hope it's going to end. There are a lot of people being killed," Trump said, according to the Associated Press. He called the negotiations "an ongoing process."

Russia, Ukraine, and the US are advancing trilateral peace talks amid intensified diplomacy at Davos. These build on months of efforts led by President Trump to end the nearly four-year war.