Translated with AI
The first round of trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the United States, mediated by the United Arab Emirates, concluded in Abu Dhabi. The consultations are focused on the American plan to end the war in Ukraine. According to the Ukrainian President's Office, the first day of talks concluded on the evening of Friday, January 23, and will continue on January 24.
The head of the Ukrainian delegation, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Rustem Umerov, stated that the meeting focused on "parameters for ending the war" and developing the future logic of the negotiation process. According to him, for the first time since the beginning of the full-scale conflict, the parties are discussing possible paths to a peaceful settlement in a trilateral format.
High-ranking representatives from all three countries are participating in the negotiations. The Ukrainian delegation is led by Rustem Umerov, and also includes Chief of the Presidential Office Kirill Budanov, representatives of the General Staff, the Main Intelligence Directorate, and parliament. The US delegation in Abu Dhabi is represented by Donald Trump's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and representatives of the military and foreign affairs agencies. The Russian delegation is led by Igor Kostyukov, Chief of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces; Moscow is represented primarily by military personnel and security experts.
As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated, the key topic of the consultations is the territorial issue, primarily the status of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The Russian side, for its part, reiterated its position on the need to withdraw Ukrainian troops from all of Donbas, including territories not previously under Russian control. Kyiv categorically rejects these demands.
According to Kremlin representatives, security issues remain a priority for Moscow, but territorial issues are still considered a key condition for a possible settlement. The American side emphasizes that the talks are technical and consultative in nature and are aimed at finding a basis for long-term and sustainable peace.
The talks in Abu Dhabi were preceded by numerous bilateral meetings, including on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. The current dialogue marks the first meeting since the war in which representatives of Ukraine, Russia, and the United States are participating simultaneously.
