Volodymyr Zelenskyy (AP image)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday announced that a trilateral meeting between US, Ukrainian and Russian officials will be held in the United Arab Emirates from Friday, a key step in efforts to end the war in Ukraine.Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Zelenskyy said, “Ukraine is working with full honesty and determination, and that brings results, and Russia must become ready too to finish this war, to stop this aggression. It will be the first trilateral meeting in the Emirates. It will be tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.” He also added that “documents aimed at ending this war” are “nearly ready,” and emphasized that both US and Ukrainian teams are working almost daily to finalize plans for peace.Zelenskyy underlined the need for Russian compromises, saying, “Russians have to be ready for compromises because, you know, everybody has to be ready, not only Ukraine. And this is important for us.”Also Read |‘Europe looks lost’: Zelenskyy says Ukraine can defend Greenland; why he mentioned Groundhog DayThe announcement comes after Zelenskyy criticized Europe for inaction on security and defense, comparing Ukraine’s ongoing struggle to the film Groundhog Day, where the same day repeats endlessly. “No one would want to live like that, repeating the same thing for weeks and months and of course, four years,” he said. Zelenskyy pointed out that despite repeated appeals, Europe has failed to unite on key measures such as sanctions on Russian oil, tribunal investigations of Russian crimes, and support for nations resisting authoritarian regimes.Zelenskyy emphasized that peace documents focus on postwar security guarantees and economic reconstruction. The trilateral UAE talks will follow a visit by the US negotiating team to Moscow, signaling an intensification of diplomatic efforts to halt the conflict.“The first trilateral meeting in the Emirates is an important step,” Zelenskyy said, stressing that the success of negotiations depends on all parties being willing to compromise. “Ukraine is ready to end this war, but Russia must also be ready to stop aggression,” he added.In Davos, Zelenskyy also met US President Donald Trump for about an hour. Trump said the meeting “went well” and delivered a message for Russian President Vladimir Putin: “The war has to end. We hope it will end because a lot of people are being killed. Last month, around 30,000 people were killed, mostly soldiers. It’s really a war that has to end.” Go to Source
