A Ukrainian delegation will meet with US President Donald Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in the United States on Friday to discuss proposals for an energy and Black Sea ceasefire, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday.

Zelensky said the meetings were expected to last two days and expressed hope that European representatives would join both the Ukrainian and American negotiating teams.

The Ukrainian delegation will include Foreign Intelligence Service Chief Rustem Umerov, Zelensky's Chief of Staff Kyrylo Budanov and other senior officials, the president said.

The talks come amid growing uncertainty over Washington's latest diplomatic efforts to end Russia's war against Ukraine, with officials in both the United States and Russia expressing doubts about the prospects for progress.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on October 8 that a negotiated end to the conflict remained out of reach, citing Moscow's demand for full control over Ukraine's Donetsk region without further fighting. Kyiv has rejected the demand.

Negotiations have repeatedly stalled over territorial disputes, with Moscow insisting that Ukraine withdraw from parts of the Donbas region that remain under Ukrainian control. Russia has also rejected ceasefire proposals, while Kyiv has called for a halt to fighting along the current front line.

Responding to Rubio's remarks, Zelensky questioned Washington's approach, arguing that discussions about future economic projects with Moscow appeared inconsistent with claims that diplomatic efforts had reached an impasse.

Asked about possible economic agreements between Washington and Moscow, Zelensky said Ukraine had considerable information but was not prepared to discuss the matter publicly.

"I'm simply not ready to talk about it publicly or in detail," he told reporters.

The latest diplomatic initiative began in early September, when Trump's envoys visited Kyiv and Moscow in an effort to advance negotiations before the US midterm elections.

The visits resulted in an agreement in principle to hold a trilateral meeting involving Ukraine, Russia and the United States. However, the proposed meeting remains uncertain.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on October 7 that there were currently no plans for US-mediated negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv, further highlighting the challenges facing Washington's efforts to broker an agreement. (ILKHA)