Representatives from Russia, Ukraine and the United States are set to begin talks Friday in the United Arab Emirates aimed at exploring a possible end to the war in Ukraine, marking the first time delegates from all three countries have met together for direct discussions on the conflict since Russia’s full-scale invasion nearly four years ago.
The United States has been attempting to mediate between Moscow and Kyiv for months, but the Abu Dhabi talks represent a new diplomatic step by bringing all sides into the same framework.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said ahead of the talks that discussions would focus on the future of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. Russia has demanded a full Ukrainian withdrawal from Donbas, despite the fact that roughly 20% of the region remains under Ukrainian control. Kyiv has rejected any deal that would require it to relinquish territory it still holds or fail to provide security guarantees strong enough to deter future Russian attacks.
Donbas includes the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, two of the four Ukrainian regions Russia declared annexed early in the war, a move not recognized internationally.
Zelenskyy described the talks as a step forward, even as he cautioned that outcomes remain uncertain. He stressed that Ukraine views the discussions as part of a broader effort to end the war rather than a final breakthrough.
On Thursday, Zelenskyy met with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. Zelenskyy said their discussions focused on eastern Ukraine, security guarantees for Kyiv and Ukraine’s need for additional air defense systems to counter Russian ballistic missile attacks.
Zelenskyy said negotiations on security guarantees were nearing completion and that draft agreements to end the war were almost ready. He added that Britain and France had already agreed in principle to deploy troops to Ukraine to help enforce a future agreement.
After the meeting, Trump said he believed there was broad international desire to see the war end and suggested that Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin were approaching a point where an agreement could be reached.
The Abu Dhabi talks follow meetings in Moscow a day earlier, where Putin received Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, as well as Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Witkoff is expected to lead the U.S. delegation in the UAE.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia’s position remains unchanged, reiterating that a Ukrainian withdrawal from Donbas is a key condition for Moscow. The Russian delegation is to be headed by Gen. Igor Kostyukov, the chief of Russia’s military intelligence agency, the GRU.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s delegation will be led by Rustem Umerov, secretary of the National Security and Defense Council.
Yuri Ushakov, a senior adviser to Putin, said earlier talks between Russian and U.S. officials had been constructive and confirmed that the first trilateral meeting on security issues would take place Friday in Abu Dhabi. He added that Russia remains interested in a political and diplomatic resolution but would continue pursuing its objectives on the battlefield until such an outcome is achieved.