Trilateral ceasefire talks likely in Abu Dhabi next month… push for Russia-Ukraine summit

The United States and Ukraine held bilateral talks in Geneva, Switzerland, on the 26th (local time) to discuss postwar reconstruction plans. Afterward, the two countries plan to hold trilateral ceasefire negotiations with Russia in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), in early next month to discuss matters including a reconstruction agreement, while also seeking a leaders’ summit between Ukraine and Russia, Reuters reported.

According to the report, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address that day, “We must wrap everything up,” adding that “we need a process to finalize the results achieved so far to secure tangible security guarantees and to prepare for a meeting between leaders.”

He added that “(a summit) is a way to resolve many issues,” and that “in the end, leaders decide the main issues—and that is even more the case in one-man-centered systems like Russia.”

Zelensky made the remarks after receiving a briefing from Ukraine’s negotiating team—including chief negotiator Rustem Umerov, secretary of the National Security and Defense Council—on the results of meetings with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

Specifically, Reuters reported that Ukraine hopes to finalize key details of a postwar reconstruction agreement at the trilateral talks in early next month.

In particular, Ukraine is said to be seeking to attract about $800 billion (about 1,147 trillion won) in funding from the public and private sectors to rebuild the country over the next 10 years. The World Bank has previously estimated that Ukraine’s economic reconstruction costs incurred from the start of the war through the end of last year would reach $588 billion.

Kyrylo Dmitriev, Russia’s special envoy for economic affairs, also separately met U.S. officials in Geneva to discuss ceasefire negotiations, Russia’s state-run RIA news agency reported. However, with differences over territorial issues unresolved, the two sides continue fighting.

Russia launched 420 drones and 39 missiles that day targeting major energy facilities in Ukraine, just before the U.S.-Ukraine talks began.

In his address, Zelensky said, “Moscow is not ready to achieve peace,” adding that “instead, Putin is preparing to keep fighting, and the world must be ready to pressure Russia to change that.”

Ko Jeong-sam, Hankyung.com reporter jsk@hankyung.com