Zelensky Names 3 Steps Trump Is Pushing to Restart Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks

US President Donald Trump is pushing three steps to de-escalate Russia’s war against Ukraine: an energy ceasefire, reopening the Black Sea grain corridor, and a trilateral US-Ukraine-Russia meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.Zelensky outlined the proposals in an interview with Axios on Wednesday, following a meeting with Trump in New York.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.https://archive.is/7XXBa [This link is for an editor to pass by the paywall, pls don’t forget to delete it]The energy ceasefire appears to be the most immediate priority. Zelensky said the proposal for both sides to halt strikes on energy infrastructure came from the US and that Ukraine is prepared to accept it.“On the table now there is a proposition: energy ceasefire. We are ready,” Zelensky said.He added that Washington is also seeking to restore the Black Sea grain corridor and bring the US, Ukraine, and Russia together for trilateral talks, potentially in Abu Dhabi.Zelensky said he told Trump that he would prefer the three sides to meet directly, with an energy ceasefire among the first concrete outcomes of such talks. The US has also raised the possibility of first bringing together technical teams rather than holding an immediate leaders-level meeting.“We are open – any country, any format,” he added.Energy ceasefire remains uncertainDespite the US push, Zelensky said it remains unclear whether Russian President Vladimir Putin is prepared to agree to an energy ceasefire or broader negotiations. Other Topics of Interest Zelensky Says He Would Visit Moscow ‘On a Rocket’ After Zelensky’s sharp response at the UN, the Kremlin claimed it had not heard him reject an invitation to the Russian capital. The Ukrainian president said he remains skeptical of Moscow’s intentions and believes Putin could find reasons to avoid a trilateral meeting involving the leaders.The Kremlin said Wednesday that conditions were not yet in place to resume peace talks with Ukraine and that there was currently no prospect of high-level meetings between the sides.The uncertainty came as Russia launched multiple ballistic missiles toward Kyiv shortly before Zelensky spoke with Axios. The Ukrainian president received updates about the attacks during the interview.Zelensky said he had nevertheless told Trump that Kyiv was ready to discuss an energy ceasefire and other measures aimed at reducing tensions.The US also has an economic interest in limiting attacks on energy infrastructure. According to Zelensky, American officials told him that reducing such strikes was important because of their impact on energy prices.US seeks to restart trilateral diplomacyZelensky said the proposed trilateral meeting would be another key element of the US effort to restart negotiations after months of stalled diplomacy.He told Trump that the G20 summit in Miami in December could provide an opportunity for a leaders-level meeting between the US, Ukraine and Russia.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday, after meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, that Trump had invited Putin to attend the summit.Zelensky said simply bringing the three sides into the same room would represent a significant step toward de-escalation.The latest US diplomatic push began several weeks ago with CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s visit to Moscow. US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner subsequently traveled to Moscow and Kyiv, meeting Putin in Moscow for three hours on Sept. 5 before traveling to Kyiv for talks with Zelensky.Zelensky said the US envoys were optimistic after their meeting with Putin, telling him they believed the Russian leader was ready to move forward.“They said, ‘We think that Putin is ready.’ I said, ‘Look, I’m not sure,’” he said.According to Zelensky, the US officials responded, “No, we are close.”Zelensky said he remained prepared to discuss the proposed measures but continued to question whether Putin would follow through.Grain corridor also on US agendaThe reopening of the Black Sea grain corridor is the third element of the US proposal outlined by Zelensky.The Ukrainian president said he had discussed the issue with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, as well as officials from India, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, during the diplomatic push in New York.According to Zelensky, those countries are also communicating with Russia about the issue.“Everybody wants [a] ceasefire. The corridor has to work again. We support [it],” he said.Zelensky said Ukraine is prepared to continue working with the US and other countries on the proposals, while Ukrainian and American officials develop some of the details before presenting them to Moscow.He said he expects Trump to focus first on securing an agreement on the energy ceasefire.Kyiv, meanwhile, wants progress before winter regardless of the US political calendar, Zelensky added. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.