Zelensky raises possibility of three-way talks with US, Russia during G20 summit

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday (local time) that trilateral talks among Ukraine, the United States and Russia could take place during the G20 summit in the US, Yonhap reported.

Zelensky told reporters in a WhatsApp chat group for media that "there is a possibility of talks being held in the US during the G20 summit," but added that "nothing has been confirmed yet by Russia or the US. It could also be held in a European country."

He went on to say that "there is also a possibility of talks being held in one of the Middle Eastern countries," noting that "the US has repeatedly mentioned the UAE or Saudi Arabia."

Zelensky said Ukraine's negotiating team held talks with US officials on Friday. He did not disclose details of those discussions.

He also said speed restrictions on services provided by satellite communications company Starlink were preventing Ukrainian forces from using interceptor drones to counter Russian drone strikes.

"Today, due to speed restrictions, our interceptor drones are not functioning," he said.

Zelensky said he was told the speed restrictions were due to a technical issue, but added that tests of Starlink within EU territory showed no such problems.

Earlier, on Friday (local time), Zelensky clashed again with US President Donald Trump, who had allowed the resumption of Russian diesel sales on international markets.

At a press conference on the sidelines of the EU summit in Brussels, Belgium, Zelensky called Trump's "diesel deal" with Russian President Vladimir Putin inappropriate and said he expected a similar agreement on Russian gas to follow, Yonhap reported at the time.

Trump has been grappling with rising fuel prices and the risk of public backlash ahead of next month's midterm elections. He recently announced he would ease some sanctions on Russia and allow Russian diesel onto the market, then unilaterally declared an "energy truce."

Zelensky has publicly pushed back against the move.

Amid the clash between the two leaders, disruptions to Starshield — critical for Ukraine's drone operations and defenses against Russia on the battlefield — prompted speculation that Trump may be using the outages as a pressure tool against Zelensky.

At the press conference, Zelensky said SpaceX's satellite communications service had improved but had not been fully restored, adding that "the outage put the lives of civilians at risk."