Efforts to resolve Russia’s nearly four-year invasion of Ukraine continue this weekend in Abu Dhabi, where officials from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States are meeting to discuss a path toward peace. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the discussions will focus heavily on the future of the eastern Donbas region, a major point of contention in the conflict.
Productive Start, But Answers Still Pending
The talks began on Friday and will continue into Saturday, with the White House describing the first day as productive. The UAE’s foreign ministry highlighted the discussions as part of ongoing efforts to “promote dialogue and identify political solutions to the crisis.” Zelenskyy noted the importance of the trilateral format, saying Ukrainian officials report to him almost hourly. “By now, they should already have at least some answers from Russia — the key is that Russia must be ready to end this war, the one it itself started,” he said, adding that it is still too early to draw conclusions on the substance of the discussions.
Russia Emphasizes Territorial Conditions
Moscow offered few details about the meeting, calling it a “working group on security issues.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed that the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from eastern Donbas remains a critical condition for Russia, while Putin’s foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, described the talks with US officials as “frank, constructive, and fruitful.” Russia’s state media reported that buffer zones and control mechanisms were also on the agenda.
Delegations and Previous Diplomacy
Russia’s delegation is led by Admiral Igor Kostyukov, with military officials participating, while Putin’s envoy Kirill Dmitriev will meet separately with US representatives on economic matters. The US delegation includes envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, and NATO’s top military commander, US Air Force General Alexus Grynkewich. Ukraine is represented by Rustem Umerov, head of the national security and defense council, Chief of General Staff Andrii Hnatov, and Kyrylo Budanov, head of the presidential office.
The Abu Dhabi talks follow meetings in Moscow earlier in the week, where US envoys met with President Vladimir Putin to discuss a potential settlement. The Kremlin insisted that any agreement would require Kyiv to withdraw from territories Russia has annexed but does not fully control. Zelenskyy, meanwhile, said he is open to establishing a free trade zone in eastern Ukraine under Kyiv’s control, a proposal he believes could benefit Ukrainian business.
