'Security guarantees must be ironclad' — Zelensky speaks to Trump's envoys ahead of trilateral peace talks

President Volodymyr Zelensky held a phone call on Nov. 4 with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the U.S. Special Envoys representing the White House in negotiations to end Russia's war against Ukraine.

The call comes ahead of the next round of trilateral peace talks, scheduled for Nov. 10 in Abu Dhabi.

Zelensky said he "had a very detailed conversation" with Witkoff and Kushner that lasted an hour and a half.  Among the primary topics were air defense munitions, the U.S.-Ukraine Drone Deal, and post-war security guarantees.

The Abu Dhabi talks will be held at the team level, with delegates from all three countries holding technical negotiations that could lead to a leader-level summit involving Zelensky, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Both Zelensky and Putin expressed willingness to hold negotiations after meeting with Witkoff in Oslo and St. Petersburg, respectively, in October.

"The pace of negotiations needs to be as intense as possible to end this war as quickly as possible," Zelensky said on Nov. 4.

"Ukraine is ready to take the necessary steps, our proposals are clear, and we have presented them to the American side."

U.S. representatives also took part in talks with European partners in Brussels earlier in the day. The negotiations were meant to coordinate joint peace efforts ahead of the Abu Dhabi meeting.

Kyiv has long called for a ceasefire along the current battle lines, while Moscow has repeatedly rejected truce proposals and demanded Ukraine cede unoccupied territory. U.S.-brokered peace negotiations in Trump's second term have done little to move past this impasse.

Previous talks have yielded prisoner exchanges and some limited, short-term truces. A localized ceasefire in the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky allowed civilians to evacuate the area, which faced severe shortages of food, drinking water, electricity, and medical supplies after Russian forces prevented humanitarian organizations from delivering aid.

The Oleshky ceasefire was credited to the intervention of U.S. first lady Melania Trump.

Zelensky said air defense supplies remain a top priority for Ukraine in current talks with Washington.

"A crucial priority is air defense. This was also discussed," he said after the call. "We need interceptors for Patriot systems to protect lives from Russian attacks."

The president also discussed Ukraine's drone deal with the U.S. and the need for robust security guarantees after a peace settlement.

"We need to continue working on each of the bilateral tracks with the United States, including the "Drone Deals" format," he said.

"Ukraine is grateful to the United States for its support of Ukraine's independence, our people, and our diplomatic efforts. There is no alternative to peace, and post-war security guarantees must be truly ironclad. We are working towards this!"

The Abu Dhabi talks come after some of the most contentious weeks in Ukraine's relationship with the U.S., with Trump making a deal to buy Russian diesel, waiving sanctions on Moscow, and pressuring Kyiv to stop attacking Russian oil refineries.

Ukraine has since faced disruptions to its Starlink service and military aid deliveries amid the fallout of Trump's latest pivot towards Russia.