President Volodymyr Zelenskyy used a 90-minute call with U.S. envoys to press Ukraine’s air-defense needs and discuss its proposals for a settlement, with talks planned in Abu Dhabi next week.
The call took place Wednesday, Nov. 4, while Zelenskyy was in Madrid. His office said he spoke with presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner for 90 minutes. The discussion included preparations for working-level talks involving teams from Ukraine, the United States and Russia, which Zelenskyy’s office said were less than a week away.
Zelenskyy told the envoys Ukraine had presented proposals to the American side. “Ukraine is ready to take the necessary steps,” Zelenskyy said, according to the official readout. He also raised the need for Patriot interceptors to protect lives from Russian attacks. His office said they discussed continued work on the Drone Deal format.
Witkoff said in an announcement on X that the United States would mediate the Abu Dhabi negotiations on Nov. 10-11. He listed post-settlement security arrangements, efforts to ease tensions, humanitarian issues and additional diplomatic steps among the subjects for discussion.
Zelenskyy’s office said a meeting on Ukraine’s postwar recovery had taken place in Brussels as preparations continued for the Abu Dhabi talks. The office also said a separate meeting on security guarantees was scheduled for Nov. 5.
European participation has also been disputed. Zelenskyy has said Europe should be part of the discussion, while Interfax reported Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said European representatives would not join the trilateral round.
Before Witkoff’s announcement, Kyiv expected Washington to provide a date after Nov. 4, while Moscow had not named a day, as EconoTimes previously reported on the timetable. Witkoff’s announcement set the planned round for Nov. 10-11.
