Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky may miss high-level talks in Brussels this week after changes in American planning cast doubt on his European trip.
Dmytro Lytvyn, a communications adviser to Zelensky, told reporters on Monday that Kyiv can no longer confirm the visit because of alterations in plans by the United States side. Euronews first reported that the scheduled trip was uncertain.
Zelensky had told Ukrainian media on Sunday that discussions were pencilled in for October 27 or October 28. The meetings were set to include representatives from Ukraine, the United States, and the European Union, alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
The European Commission confirmed it remains involved in diplomatic discussions with Western partners but declined to provide specific details about the Brussels gathering. A spokesperson for the European Commission said the executive body continues to take part in negotiations and joint efforts with allies to secure a just and lasting peace for Ukraine, noting that officials have no further information to share at this stage.
Diplomatic groundwork in Oslo
The planned Brussels talks were intended to build upon a series of high-level diplomatic meetings held in Oslo last week. During that trip to Norway, Zelensky met with United States special envoy Steve Witkoff, joined in discussions by Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store.
Zelensky said wider discussions in Oslo also included national security advisers to the heads of government of Britain, France, and Italy. Bjorn Seibert, the head of cabinet to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, took part in the negotiations as well.
According to the Ukrainian president, American officials shared the results of a meeting that Witkoff held with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg. Zelensky explained that the United States wanted to discuss security issues, guarantees, and broader European Union participation, rather than simply briefing allies on the Saint Petersburg exchange. He said Washington had requested the Brussels meeting with Ukrainian leaders, EU officials at the presidential level, and NATO at the level of the secretary general.
Trilateral negotiations and future talks
Brussels serves as the administrative seat of both the European Union and the NATO military alliance, making the Belgian capital a primary center for coordinating Western military and financial assistance to Kyiv.
Attention is also shifting toward potential trilateral negotiations involving Ukraine, the United States, and Russia. Yuri Ushakov, an aide to Putin, previously announced that the Kremlin aims to resume three-way talks after November 4. Ushakov indicated that Moscow will be ready for discussions following National Unity Day, an official Russian holiday observed on that date.
That timeline places any trilateral meeting after the United States election scheduled for November 3. Zelensky stated that the main objective of these future trilateral discussions is to move forward along the path to peace. The Ukrainian leader expressed hope that a three-way meeting in November would help bring talks closer to the level of heads of state and deliver concrete ceasefire agreements.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Abu Dhabi is under consideration as a potential host city for the three-way talks between Russian, American, and Ukrainian representatives. Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, has frequently functioned as a neutral location for diplomatic negotiations. When asked about the documents and proposals Russia is preparing for the meeting, Peskov cautioned against running ahead of events.
