US and Russia to Hold First Trilateral Meeting With Ukraine on the 23rd in the UAE

According to The Financial News, Ukraine, which has been resisting Russia’s invasion for nearly four years, is set to hold three-way talks with the United States of America (US) and Russia starting on the 23rd (local time) to discuss ending the war. This will be the first trilateral meeting that includes Russia.
According to CNN and other foreign media, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with US President Donald Trump for about an hour on the 22nd in Davos, Switzerland. Trump, who was in Davos to attend the 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), said after their talks, "We will see what happens going forward." He also addressed Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying, "The war must be brought to an end."
Zelenskyy, who has been engaged in full-scale peace negotiations led by the US since last year, described the talks as "productive and substantive" and said that "the documents outlining the US peace proposal are well prepared." He added, "The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) exists because we believe the US will act," stressing that "security guarantees do not work without the US, and we need Trump’s backing."
Zelenskyy also announced that "for two days starting on the 23rd, officials from the US, Russia, and Ukraine will meet in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to continue discussions on a peace plan." He said the UAE meeting would be "the first trilateral talks" and assessed that the very fact the meeting is being held is a positive sign.
After his meeting with Trump, Zelenskyy criticized the European Union (EU) during his speech at the WEF, taking aim at the EU, which has been at odds with Trump over the issue of sovereignty over Greenland, an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. He argued that Europe’s allies are divided and urged them to take a more active stance in containing Russia.
Zelenskyy said, "Most leaders are just waiting for the US to quiet down over the Greenland issue," pointing to what he called a problematic mindset within the EU. He also criticized the EU’s lack of resolve, noting that a proposal to use Russia’s frozen assets to support Ukraine failed at last month’s EU summit.
Zelenskyy urged Europe to take concrete action, such as imposing a full ban on imports of Russian oil, as the US has done, and blocking Russia’s access to missile components. At the same time, he said, "Europe remains a fractured kaleidoscope," adding, "Europe is trying to persuade the US president to bring about change, but it seems to have lost its way in the process." He went on, "Trump says he loves Europe, but he will not listen to Europe in its current state."


pjw@fnnews.com Jong-won Park Reporter