Translated with AI
Trilateral talks involving delegations from Russia, Ukraine, and the United States on the peace plan developed by the White House have resumed in the capital of the United Arab Emirates. This was announced by Rustem Umerov , Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine and head of the Ukrainian negotiating delegation.
According to him, the negotiation process is taking place in separate groups on various topics. Following the meetings, a "repeated joint synchronization of positions" is expected, he wrote on Telegram. In addition to Umerov, Kirill Budanov, head of the Ukrainian President's Office, has also arrived in Abu Dhabi. The talks are being held behind closed doors and will last two days.
According to RBC, the Russian delegation is led by Admiral Igor Kostyukov , Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces. The US delegation is represented by Special Presidential Envoy Steven Witkoff and the US president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner .
According to Politico, citing Ukrainian and American officials, the territorial issue is expected to be the central topic of discussion.
Representatives from Moscow and Kyiv held their first direct talks on the US-proposed plan to end Russia's war against Ukraine on January 23 and 24. According to sources in the negotiating circles, the parties managed to agree on several points, but no agreement on territorial matters was reached.
Following the first round of talks, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that the Donbas issue remains the only unresolved issue. Russia insists on the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donbas, a demand Kyiv rejects.
Donbas is part of Ukraine, but is partially under the control of Russian troops. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously stated that the territorial issue could only be resolved through a personal meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin .
