Ukraine had not confirmed President Volodymyr Zelensky’s proposed Oct. 27–28 Brussels meetings as of Monday, Oct. 26, after Kyiv cited changed U.S. plans for discussions on security and guarantees.
In a TSN interview on Oct. 25, Zelensky described a planned presidential-level discussion involving Ukraine, the United States and the European Union, with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also participating. He said the agenda would cover Ukraine’s security, guarantees and Europe’s role. The statements did not establish that all participants had formally confirmed a meeting.
Presidential adviser Dmytro Lytvyn said, “We are not confirming this yet due to a change in the American side’s plans.” The European Commission said it remained involved in peace efforts with allies and partners but had no additional information to share. A NATO official said the alliance would comment if it received information about the matter.
Reports about Zelensky’s travel plans conflicted. The Kyiv Independent reported that a senior Ukrainian official told the outlet late on Oct. 25 that the trip had been called off. The outlet also said Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported the following morning, citing unnamed members of Zelensky’s team, that he would go to Brussels. The Kyiv Independent separately reported disagreements among senior communications staff over the conflicting messages.
The Kyiv Independent also reported that U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had been expected at the Brussels meeting. An unnamed Ukrainian official told the outlet that President Donald Trump wanted the envoys in Washington. Those details come from the Kyiv Independent’s reporting.
The Brussels proposal is separate from a later diplomatic track. In an official address on Oct. 23, Zelensky said Ukraine, the United States and Russia had agreed to team-level talks during the first half of November, depending on Russia’s participation. He also called for Europe to be included in the wider discussions.
