Ukraine, Russia, and US set to discuss territorial concessions in Abu Dhabi
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the future of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region will be a central topic as negotiators from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States gather in Abu Dhabi on Friday for talks aimed at ending Russia’s nearly four-year full-scale invasion.
The UAE’s foreign ministry said the talks commenced on Friday and are scheduled to continue over two days “as part of ongoing efforts to promote dialogue and identify political solutions to the crisis,” News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
The White House described the talks as productive and said conversations would continue on Saturday.
The three-way talks come hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the settlement in Ukraine with US President Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner during marathon overnight talks.
The Kremlin insisted that to reach a peace deal, Kyiv must withdraw its troops from the areas in the east that Russia illegally annexed but never fully captured.
Zelenskyy said after meeting with Trump that while the future status of land in eastern Ukraine currently occupied by Russia remains unresolved, the peace proposals are “nearly ready.”
He also reiterated his openness to establishing a free trade zone under Ukraine’s control in the country’s east, adding that he discussed the proposal with Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday: “I think it will be positive for our business," Zelenskyy told reporters.
Friday is the first known time that officials from the Trump administration simultaneously meet with negotiators from both Ukraine and Russia. While it's unclear how the talks will unfold and many obstacles to peace remain, some see it as a sign that the parties are making headway in closing a deal.
Speaking in his evening address to the nation late Friday, Zelenskyy said the Ukrainian delegation attending the talks reported to him “almost every hour.”
“They are discussing the parameters for ending the war," Zelenskyy said. "Now, they should at least get some answers from Russia, and the most important thing is that Russia should be ready to end this war, which it itself started.”
He added that “it’s too early to draw conclusions about the content of today’s negotiations - we’ll see how the conversation goes tomorrow and what the results will be." "It’s not just about Ukraine’s desire to end this war and achieve full security - it’s also about Russia somehow developing a similar desire,” Zelenskyy said.
“Today’s meeting will be in the format of Ukraine, Russia and the United States, and afterward the Europeans will certainly receive feedback from us,” Zelenskyy told journalists in a WhatsApp audio message.
Kremlin says they are working on "security issues"
The Kremlin offered little detail beyond calling Friday’s meeting a “working group on security issues.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reaffirmed Friday that Russia's demand for the Ukrainian troops' withdrawal from the eastern Donbas region is an “important condition,” adding that there are also other “nuances” on the talks agenda that he wouldn't specify.
Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov, who participated in Putin’s meeting with Witkoff and Kushner, said “it was reaffirmed that reaching a long-term settlement can’t be expected without solving the territorial issue.” He described the talks with the U.S. as “frank, constructive” and “fruitful.”
Russia’s state Tass news agency reported that the discussions included possible buffer zones and control measures.
By Ulviyya Salmanli
Similar news
