'If We Don't Meet, Nothing's Going To Happen': Trump Ahead Of Trilateral Talks With Russia, Ukraine

Last Updated:January 23, 2026, 07:23 IST

Donald Trump said trilateral talks involving the US, Russia and Ukraine in the UAE were crucial to making progress toward ending the war.

Donald Trump at the "Board of Peace" meeting during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos (Photo: AFP)

The United States, Russia and Ukraine are set to hold trilateral talks in the United Arab Emirates as diplomatic efforts to bring an end to the nearly four-year-long war gather momentum, with US President Donald Trump underscoring the importance of direct engagement and expressing cautious hope that the dialogue could save lives.

Speaking on the proposed trilateral meeting, Trump said sustained interaction was critical to any progress.

“Anytime we meet, it’s good. If we don’t meet, nothing’s going to happen. In the first three years, nobody met. So we are meeting, and we’ll see what happens. I hope we can save a lot of lives, that’s all," he said.

Emphasising that concessions were being made across the board, Trump noted, “Everybody’s making concessions to get it done. Europe is going to be a part of it. It’s more for Europe than for me. I mean, I’m doing this more for Europe than for me."

Trump said his primary motivation was humanitarian rather than political or financial.

“I’m doing it to save lives. I’m doing it for Europe," he said, adding that the conflict did not significantly impact the United States.

“It doesn’t affect us very much. I have the ability to get things done like this, and we’ll see if I can get it done."

Referring to Russia’s intentions, Trump added, “I thought Putin wanted the whole thing. Maybe he does, but he’s not going to be going there unless we don’t make a deal."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that the UAE-hosted engagement would be the first trilateral meeting involving negotiators from Ukraine, the US and Russia.

Speaking after his address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Zelenskyy said the talks would take place over two days.

“It will be the first trilateral meeting in the Emirates. It will be tomorrow and the day after tomorrow," he said, adding that “Russians have to be ready for compromises."

According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s delegation will be led by Security and Defence Council Secretary Rustem Umerov and will include military representation, including Lieutenant General Andriy Gnatov.

“It will be a trilateral meeting at the level of negotiators. We’ll see what the result will be," he said.

The United Arab Emirates has previously played a mediating role between Moscow and Kyiv, particularly in facilitating prisoner exchanges.

Trump also addressed his recent meeting with Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the Davos summit, describing the interaction as constructive but acknowledging that challenges remain.

“We had a conversation. I’ve had numerous conversations on Ukraine. It would be nice to end the war," Trump said.

He added that while the US had financial interests linked to the conflict, those were not his focus.

“It costs us nothing. We make money. I don’t want to make money, but we make money. Biden spent $350 billion stupidly and lost a lot of money," he said, before stressing, “But it’s not about the money."

Highlighting the human cost of the war, Trump said, “It’s about 25,000 to 30,000 soldiers a month being killed."

Drawing comparisons with other conflicts, he claimed rapid success elsewhere while conceding the complexity of the Ukraine war.

“It’s funny. I put out a 35-year war in a day, a 32-year war in two days. In other wars, the worst was like four days. But this one goes on and on forever. And actually, they may have been more complex."

Zelenskyy, for his part, described his meeting with Trump as “positive," while cautioning that the final phase of negotiations would be difficult.

“The last mile is very difficult," he said, adding that defending Ukraine’s national interests made dialogue challenging but necessary.

News world 'If We Don't Meet, Nothing's Going To Happen': Trump Ahead Of Trilateral Talks With Russia, Ukraine

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