Key facts
- Zelensky said the call with Witkoff and Kushner lasted an hour and a half.
- Zelensky said Ukraine needs Patriot interceptor missiles to protect lives from Russian attacks.
- Zelensky said Ukraine is working on bilateral tracks with the U.S., including the Drone Deals format.
- Zelensky said post-war security guarantees must be truly ironclad and that there is no alternative to peace.
- Kyiv has called for a ceasefire along current battle lines; Moscow has demanded Ukraine cede unoccupied territory.
- The Abu Dhabi talks are at team level and could lead to a leader-level summit with Zelensky, Putin and Trump.
President Volodymyr Zelensky held a phone call on November 4 with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the U.S. special envoys representing the White House in negotiations to end Russia's war against Ukraine. The call came ahead of the next round of trilateral peace talks, scheduled for November 10 in Abu Dhabi.
Zelensky said he "had a very detailed conversation" with Witkoff and Kushner that lasted an hour and a half. Among the primary topics were air defense munitions, the U.S.-Ukraine Drone Deal and post-war security guarantees.
The Abu Dhabi talks will be held at the team level, with delegates from all three countries holding technical negotiations that could lead to a leader-level summit involving Zelensky, Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump. Both Zelensky and Putin expressed willingness to hold negotiations after meeting with Witkoff in Oslo and St. Petersburg, respectively, in October.
"The pace of negotiations needs to be as intense as possible to end this war as quickly as possible," Zelensky said on November 4. "Ukraine is ready to take the necessary steps, our proposals are clear, and we have presented them to the American side."
Kyiv has long called for a ceasefire along the current battle lines, while Moscow has repeatedly rejected truce proposals and demanded Ukraine cede unoccupied territory. U.S.-brokered peace negotiations in Trump's second term have done little to move past this impasse. Previous talks have yielded prisoner exchanges and some limited, short-term truces.
A localized ceasefire in the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky allowed civilians to evacuate the area, which faced severe shortages of food, drinking water, electricity and medical supplies after Russian forces prevented humanitarian organizations from delivering aid. The Oleshky ceasefire was credited to the intervention of U.S. first lady Melania Trump.
Zelensky said air defense supplies remain a top priority for Ukraine in current talks with Washington. "A crucial priority is air defense. This was also discussed," he said after the call. "We need interceptors for Patriot systems to protect lives from Russian attacks."
The president also discussed Ukraine's drone deal with the U.S. and the need for robust security guarantees after a peace settlement. "We need to continue working on each of the bilateral tracks with the United States, including the 'Drone Deals' format," he said. "Ukraine is grateful to the United States for its support of Ukraine's independence, our people, and our diplomatic efforts. There is no alternative to peace, and post-war security guarantees must be truly ironclad. We are working towards this!"
The Abu Dhabi talks come after some of the most contentious weeks in Ukraine's relationship with the U.S., with Trump making a deal to buy Russian diesel, waiving sanctions on Moscow and pressuring Kyiv to stop attacking Russian oil refineries. Ukraine has since faced disruptions to its Starlink service and military aid deliveries amid the fallout of Trump's latest pivot towards Russia.