Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office, has expressed “restrained optimism” about the possibility of progress towards an eventual meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. His comments come ahead of trilateral negotiations set to take place in Abu Dhabi on November 10 and 11, involving Ukrainian, Russian, and American delegations.

These talks, the first of their kind since February, will focus on postwar security guarantees for both Ukraine and Russia. Budanov, who will join the Ukrainian delegation led by top negotiator Rustem Umerov, believes that the fact that all parties wanted to hold this meeting indicates the existence of certain prerequisites for progress.

The trilateral meeting follows a period of strain in the U.S.-Ukraine relationship, with President Trump announcing a deal to allow Russia to supply diesel to the United States and SpaceX imposing limits on Ukraine’s Starshield satellite networks, disrupting Ukrainian drone operations and some air-defense systems. Despite these setbacks, Budanov remains optimistic about Ukraine’s relationship with the United States heading into the talks.

The discussions come as Russia intensifies strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, causing widespread power outages and water disruptions. Budanov believes that Russia’s goal is to create social dissatisfaction and stifle national interests by causing maximum damage to critical infrastructure. However, he remains confident that these efforts will not succeed.

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, who will represent Washington alongside Jared Kushner, expressed his desire to build on the progress made in previous meetings in Kyiv, Oslo, and St. Petersburg, with the aim of reaching a comprehensive and durable peace agreement that delivers lasting security for generations to come.

As the trilateral talks approach, the international community will be closely watching to see if any significant progress can be made towards a potential meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy, and ultimately, towards a resolution to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Despite the challenges and setbacks faced by Ukraine in recent months, Budanov’s cautious optimism suggests that there may be room for progress in the upcoming negotiations.