Ukraine sets November date for trilateral peace talks with Russia and the US
President Zelenskyy confirmed the summit while reporting that Russian forces launched nearly 2,300 drones at Ukrainian cities during the past week.
By Leo Anderson ·
Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed on Sunday that a trilateral meeting involving Kyiv, Washington, and Moscow will be held in November to restart stalled peace negotiations. The Ukrainian president stated that he is prepared to discuss territorial issues at the leadership level, while technical groups will handle other matters. He reiterated his belief that Vladimir Putin remains the only Russian leader capable of making final decisions to end the conflict.
Zelenskyy outlined specific boundaries for the upcoming talks. Ukraine will not negotiate limits on its armed forces size or accept enforced postwar neutrality. This stance aligns with Kyiv’s long-standing goal of joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a move that has faced hesitation from some existing members.
The diplomatic push comes as the United States resolved a technical dispute regarding satellite communications. Zelenskyy said that SpaceX’s Starshield internet service has returned to full speed, reaching 420 kilometers per hour since early Saturday. This restoration followed a meeting in Oslo between the Ukrainian president and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. The service had been throttled earlier in October due to diplomatic pressure from Washington.
Washington has urged Ukraine to pause strikes on Russian oil refineries, arguing that such attacks drive up global energy prices. Zelenskyy countered that Kyiv will only suspend these operations if Moscow stops targeting Ukraine’s power infrastructure. He also listed alternative conditions, including US permission to use Starshield over Russia for missile detection or the supply of additional Patriot missile systems.
The week brought intense aerial bombardment. Zelenskyy reported that Russia launched approximately 1,600 guided bombs, 48 missiles, and nearly 2,300 strike drones at Ukraine over the past seven days. He used these figures to renew his request for Western allies to accelerate deliveries of interceptor missiles.
Russian forces continued to target logistics and transport hubs. The Russian defense ministry claimed on Sunday that its drones struck two cargo vessels bound for the Black Sea ports of Chornomorsk and Odesa. The ministry said the ships were supplying the Ukrainian army. Russian forces also hit a logistics center, a distribution center, and a logistics terminal in the city of Kharkiv during an overnight attack. Reuters was unable to independently confirm these reports.
In the Russian border city of Belgorod, local authorities reported that a Ukrainian drone attack killed three people and injured 13 on Sunday. A separate strike later that day killed one more person. Regional Governor Alexander Shuvayev said the overnight attack damaged 30 apartment buildings.
In a related political development, the Bulgarian presidential election ended without a clear winner on Sunday. The incumbent leftist president, Iliana Yotova, will face Andrey Gyurov of the pro-western reformist opposition in a runoff. Yotova opposes military aid to Ukraine, while Gyurov supports Kyiv. The vote took place amid security concerns following a series of drone attacks on ships in the Black Sea.
Source: The Guardian
