The Kremlin is seeking to avoid a face-to-face meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin by proposing they speak by phone instead, the Kyiv Independent has learned.

The apparent move comes as Kyiv insists the two leaders should meet in person to address the most pressing issues

"The (war) must continue so that we are protected from threats," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

Free fuel sales resumed in 15 Russian regions in October, Russian state-aligned newspaper Izvestia reported on Oct. 29.

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov also ruled out European participation in the upcoming Abu Dhabi meeting.

The Kyiv Independent’s Tim Zadorozhnyy speaks with Tsikhanouskaya about Lukashenko’s support for Russia’s war, the risks of U.S. engagement with his regime, and how political prisoners have become bargaining chips in negotiations over sanctions.

A planned meeting between Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S. in Abu Dhabi will focus on de-escalating Russia's war, President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters on Oct. 27, as Moscow seemingly agreed to resume talks with Kyiv after a pause of more than eight months.

Although Ukrainian officials do

President Volodymyr Zelensky's planned Oct. 26 trip to Brussels descended into a diplomatic guessing game, with conflicting signals from his own team leaving EU and NATO officials scrambling to establish whether he was coming — and who was supposed to meet him.

At the center of the confusion

A senior Ukrainian official previously told the Kyiv Independent that the batch awaiting U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's approval was "significant."

"If there's a problem, I will get it straightened out," U.S. President Donald Trump said.

U.S. President Donald Trump may be considering further sanctions relief for Russia following his recent diesel deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin, several Ukrainian and U.S. officials familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent.

The potential move would fit an approach in which the Trump administration offers

The Kyiv Independent’s Tim Zadorozhnyy speaks with Meaghan Mobbs about the strained U.S.-Ukraine relations, U.S. President Donald Trump’s diesel deal with Russia, and pressure on Kyiv to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries.