— They proposed this format, from what I understand: Ukraine, America, Russia Zelensky told journalists in Kiev. He added that “it would be logical to organize such a joint meeting […] after we know the potential results of the meeting that has already taken place in Berlin.
Zelensky noted separately that the suggested tripartite meeting would take place at the level of national security advisers. However, he questioned whether these talks could bring significant progress in negotiations to reach a peace agreement.
— I'm not sure anything new will come of this. We already had a similar format of meetings in Istanbul, Zelensky told reporters in a WhatsApp conversation on Saturday.
“How could I be against such a meeting?”
Representatives of Ukraine and Russia last met face to face in July in Istanbul, however No significant progress resulted from this meeting, apart from an exchange of prisoners. Zelensky described the prisoner exchanges as “very important” despite the lack of other progress in peace talks in Turkey.
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If the trilateral meeting in Florida “can take place now and unlock” further prisoner exchanges or “happen preparation for the meeting of the three leadersI will support it,” Zelensky said. “There are very important and difficult issues that must be resolved at the leadership level. So how could I be against such a meeting?” Zelensky noted.
He emphasized that for Kiev the most important issues in the peace talks are the status of Ukrainian territories, security guarantees and the operation of the nuclear power plant in Zaporozhye.
Zelensky told reporters that whether trilateral talks will take place depends on the results of the US-Ukrainian negotiations that started on Friday. If they actually take place, the European delegation, which is also currently in Florida, may also join the talks.
As reported, the chief American negotiator, Steve Witkoff, and Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, met on Friday in Miami with a Ukrainian delegation led by Rustem Umerov. Earlier, Witkoff and Kushner visited Berlin, where they talked with Ukrainian and European officials.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump. Berlin, December 15, 2025Lisi Niesner/Reuters/Pool/dpa / PAP
The talks in Germany ended with the US offering to Kiev security guarantees similar to those available to NATO members, U.S. officials said. This is the strongest and most explicit commitment on Ukraine's security that the Trump administration has made to date.
“It is extremely important to have strong security guarantees that will prevent even the thought or physical possibility of coming back to us with aggression,” Zelensky wrote on Saturday afternoon on the X platform. “Peace is better than war, but not at any cost, because we have already paid a high price“- he added.
“The most important thing for us is a just, lasting peace – one that cannot be broken by another whim of Putin or any other person like him,” wrote the Ukrainian leader.
“There will be no peace agreement if Ukraine does not agree to it”
Russian President Vladimir Putin's representative in peace talks regarding Ukraine, Kirill Dmitriev, was scheduled to meet with the American negotiating team in Florida on Saturday. Dmitriev wrote on the X platform that he was “on his way to Miami”, sharing a video of the sun breaking through the clouds.
“While warmongers work at full speed to torpedo the US peace plan for Ukraine, I remembered this video from my previous visit — light shining through the storm clouds,” Dmitriev wrote.
Currently, the United States is pushing a peace agreement that would likely require Ukraine to give up some of its territory — This is a condition that Ukrainians do not want to agree to. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday that “there will be no peace agreement if Ukraine does not agree to it,” adding that he may take part in potential talks between Russia and Ukraine.
“But there will be no peace agreement unless Russia agrees to it,” Rubio said. — Our job is not to impose anything on anyone. We're here to see if we can get both sides to find common ground.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces said on Saturday that since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia lost almost 1 million 200 thousand. soldiers.
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
