Zelenskyy Jockeys Ukraine into Leadership Role among European Countries

Immediately after the two rounds of inconclusive trilateral talks ended, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine, the US and Europe have agreed to hold another meeting involving their representatives, which will undoubtedly reinforce European unity and security, reported European Pravda.

Zelenskyy noted that national security advisers to the leaders of France, the UK and Germany joined the Ukraine-US negotiations in Kyiv during the third round.

“We have agreed that Ukraine, Europe and America will meet in the near future. I do not know where the meeting will be – in Europe, in the United States of America, or perhaps again – as I understood it, Steve (Witkoff) liked our railways – so perhaps again in Ukraine. Well, we are open in any case,” Zelenskyy observed.

The Ukrainian president said three rounds of negotiations took place on September 6 in total, and all of them were “very substantive,” and discussions covered possible parameters for ending the war and short-term support for Ukraine, but nothing was revealed.

A shrewd global strategist who prioritizes Ukraine’s interests, Zelenskyy can now position the appropriate national chess pieces into a configuration that will propel Kyiv into a solid leadership role.

The most significant aspect of the upcoming trilateral setup (Ukraine–US–Europe) is the explicit inclusion of European allies right after the US envoys’ stop in Moscow.

Bringing French, British, and German national security advisors directly into the third round of talks—and locking in a joint trilateral follow-up—mitigates the threat of a bilateral US–Russia track that bypasses Kyiv or Brussels. 

For Europe, their active inclusion ensures that economic sanctions, long-term security guarantees, and reconstruction frameworks are tightly aligned with US diplomatic moves. Hopefully, these moves will gyrate toward outspoken support for Ukraine.

This latest development—Zelenskyy’s press briefing following the lackluster marathon three-round talks in Kyiv with US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, alongside E3 national security advisors (UK, France, Germany)—signals a notable shift in the diplomatic landscape.  It can also maintain Ukraine’s visibility at the pinnacle of European affairs. Such a multinational arrangement, with Ukraine’s military and political shoulders, will give all participants a sense of security.

The most significant aspect of the upcoming trilateral setup (Ukraine–US–Europe) is the explicit inclusion of European allies right after the US envoys’ stop in Moscow.

Zelenskyy noted that Witkoff and Kushner brought "several genuinely new ideas" fresh off their meeting with Putin. While details remain tightly held, the dynamic reveals key positioning:

tactical vs. leadership levels.

Zelenskyy made a point of stating that while core territorial issues were touched upon, structural choices like sovereignty and borders can only be negotiated directly at the leadership level. 

Kyiv is pragmatically using this diplomatic momentum to lock in immediate survival support—specifically the “winter package” covering energy resilience, fuel logistics, and heavy air defense (e.g., Patriot systems) ahead of seasonal targeting by Moscow. 

Restarting formal negotiation tracks after a long hiatus is inherently useful, but the key metric remains whether diplomatic movement is paired with enforceable security guarantees, or merely provides Moscow tactical breathing room. 

Zelenskyy explicitly highlighted the "prosperity plan" alongside force posture. The narrative from Kyiv continues to emphasize that a strong Ukrainian military is the primary security guarantee, requiring concrete Western economic and industrial commitment rather than symbolic declarations. The Russian war against Ukraine and Kyiv’s smart and successful defense of its country, nation, and interests testify that Ukraine is the number one candidate for accession to NATO.