The three-way meeting between Russia, Ukraine, and the US has concluded in Abu Dhabi after two days of talks. No immediate continuation of the trilateral contacts is expected, according to TASS. The meeting has yielded “some results,” an anonymous source told the news agency.
The Russian delegation was seen returning to their hotel after Saturday’s meeting, RIA Novosti reported, sharing footage from the scene.
However, a new round of the three-way talks could be hosted by the United Arab Emirates as soon as next week, Axios reporter Barak Ravid wrote on X, citing sources. Ukrainian officials described the two-day negotiations as “positive,” he added.
Later in the day, Barak reported that an anonymous US official told him the next round of negotiations had been scheduled for February 1.
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky confirmed that a follow-up meeting could happen in the UAE in the near future. The discussions were focused on “possible parameters to end the conflict,” he said in a statement, welcoming “the recognition of the need for American monitoring and oversight” to resolve the hostilities.
The meeting is the first-ever in the trilateral format since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022. No comments were immediately forthcoming from any of the participants after the talks concluded.
The Russian team was led by presidential aide Yury Ushakov and Admiral Igor Kostyukov, the head of the country’s military intelligence. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said ahead of the discussions that the delegation would focus on security matters.
All three sides had indicated that territorial issues remain the biggest obstacle to a peace deal. Moscow has long demanded Kiev withdraw its troops from parts of formerly Ukrainian regions incorporated into Russia that it still has under its control, as well as recognizing the new borders. Ukraine, however, has repeatedly ruled out making any such concessions.
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