Key facts
- Conflicting signals from Zelensky's team created confusion over a planned Oct. 26 meeting in Brussels.
- The proposed four-way meeting was to involve Ukraine, the U.S., the EU, and NATO.
- U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were expected to attend but were reportedly kept in Washington.
- Kyiv cited a change in U.S. plans for the confusion.
- European officials were preparing to travel to Montreal for a Canada-EU Summit at the time.
President Volodymyr Zelensky’s planned Oct. 26 trip to Brussels descended into a diplomatic guessing game, with conflicting signals from his own team leaving EU and NATO officials scrambling to establish whether he was coming. The confusion centered on a proposed four-way meeting between Ukraine, the U.S., the EU, and NATO to discuss efforts to end Russia’s war. U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were expected to attend, but Kyiv later cited a change in U.S. plans for the uncertainty. The meeting was never officially confirmed, and European officials were reportedly unaware of Zelensky's potential visit as they prepared for a Canada-EU Summit.