President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine has maintained “good contacts” with the United States and hopes to return to meaningful trilateral peace talks in the coming weeks, this time with European participation.
In his evening address on Wednesday, May 20, Zelensky said the Ukrainian side continues active communication with Washington on both security cooperation and diplomatic contacts with Russia.
“If we manage to return to meaningful trilateral communication in these weeks and if we manage to involve the Europeans, that will be the right result,” Zelensky said.
He stressed that Ukraine is ready to take the necessary steps.
“I expect that the partners will also be ready and that the Russians will not hide,” he added.
The first round of trilateral talks between Ukraine, the United States and Russia took place on Jan. 24 in Abu Dhabi. A second round followed in February, also in Abu Dhabi, before further discussions were held in Geneva. However, peace negotiations later stalled amid the escalating US-Iran conflict and continued disagreements over the Donetsk region.
On May 7, National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov met in the United States with President Donald Trump’s special representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. According to Ukrainian officials, the talks focused on humanitarian issues and efforts to intensify the diplomatic process.
Meanwhile, The Telegraph reported on May 19 that Kyiv is seeking to revive the European diplomatic format involving Britain, France and Germany for future peace negotiations.
According to the newspaper’s diplomatic sources, Ukrainian officials no longer view the United States as an effective standalone mediator in talks with Russia. Zelensky therefore reportedly sees potential in restoring the so-called E3 format.
The Ukrainian president is said to have discussed the idea during a recent phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, proposing to give the format “additional content.”
According to the report, Kyiv wants European negotiators to convey to the Kremlin that genuine peace talks are in Russia’s own interest, particularly as Ukraine retains the ability to increase pressure deep inside Russian territory.
The E3 format is an informal diplomatic mechanism involving France, Germany and Britain. It was originally created in 2003 to negotiate with Iran over its nuclear program, serving as a key intermediary between Tehran, Washington and the UN Security Council.
In recent years, the format has expanded beyond the Iran issue and is now used to coordinate positions on sanctions, European security and broader Middle East policy.