Zelenskyy ready for US-proposed trilateral talks with Russia

Confirming Ukraine's readiness to engage in diplomatic talks, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that US negotiators have proposed holding a trilateral meeting with Ukraine and Russia at the technical level by the end of October, reported ANI.

Speaking during a joint press conference in Kyiv alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, President Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine remains open to dialogue aimed at ending the war.

"Yesterday, I spoke with the American negotiating team. Today, the American side is in contact with both Ukraine and Russia and is proposing a trilateral meeting at the technical level by the end of October. Yesterday, I confirmed to them that our side is ready to support holding such a meeting by the end of October. There is no new information here. We are open to the United Arab Emirates or another country proposed by the American side," Zelenskyy wrote in a post on X.

He added, "I know they will propose this to the Russian side as well, or may have already done so. We will wait for the response. We respond positively to negotiations."

The announcement follows a wave of heavy Russian drone and missile strikes targeting critical civilian infrastructure across Ukraine. Zelenskyy detailed the widespread damage and casualties resulting from overnight attacks across multiple regions.

"This morning, the Russians once again struck the Pivnichnyi Bridge in Kyiv with a drone. They attacked an ordinary pharmaceutical warehouse in Sumy with drones. Tragically, one person was killed. My condolences to the family and loved ones. In Dnipro, they struck a communications facility. Six people were injured as a result of these attacks," Zelenskyy wrote in a post on X.

Describing the relentless scale of the aerial assault, he added, "Overnight, the Russians launched 135 attack drones against Ukraine, more than 50 of them jet-powered. Kyiv, the Dnipro, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia regions came under attack. And among the main targets of these terrorists, as always, are ordinary residential buildings, critical infrastructure – everything that makes up normal everyday life. There are power outages in some communities. Our services are working at the impact sites."

Highlighting the weekly volume of incoming strikes, Zelenskyy called for international accountability for Moscow's ongoing escalation.

"It is important that Ukraine is not left alone against this terror. This week alone, the Russians have used more than 1,900 attack drones, 1,700 aerial bombs, and 25 missiles against Ukraine. More than 800 of the drones were jet-powered, and Russia must be held accountable for this escalation," he noted.

Earlier last week, US President Trump said that he wants Russia and Ukraine to “settle” (the war), amid staggering casualty counts, following a recent bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Speaking to Fox News, Trump emphasised the death toll in the Russia-Ukraine war, which has been going on since 2022.

“Reached agreements on many of the subjects. I want him to settle with Putin, and I want Putin to settle with him. Last month, 25,000 people died. Months before that, 32,000 people died, mostly soldiers… What a shame," the US President said.

Meanwhile, Germany pledged a fresh military aid package for Ukraine worth around 1 billion euros, Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced during his visit to Kiev on Sunday, reported Xinhua.

According to the German government, the new military aid package focuses primarily on air defense capabilities, including the joint production of interceptors against jet-powered drones.

Merz noted that recent technical breakthroughs in this area would help swiftly strengthen Ukrainian air defenses.

Germany will also provide long-range weapons, satellite technology and combat drones for Ukraine.

In addition, Germany will offer around 350 million euros (394 million dollars) to repair Ukraine's energy infrastructure ahead of the coming winter.

This is Merz's second visit to Kiev since he took office last year.