Ukraine, Russia, US hold 'constructive' trilateral peace talks in UAE

Ukraine, Russia, and the US held 'constructive' US-facilitated trilateral peace talks in Abu Dhabi. President Zelenskyy said the talks focused on parameters to end the war and security guarantees, even as Russian attacks continued on Ukraine.

Ukraine, Russia and the United States concluded the second day of US-facilitated trilateral peace talks in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, with Kyiv describing the discussions as "constructive" even as Russian attacks on Ukrainian territory continued.

'Constructive' Discussions on Ending the War

Commenting on the outcome of the two-day engagement in the United Arab Emirates, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the talks, held in a trilateral format for the first time in years, focused on outlining possible parameters to end the war and on security guarantees required to sustain any future agreement. "Our delegation delivered a report; the meetings in the UAE have concluded," Zelenskyy wrote in a post on X. Our delegation delivered a report; the meetings in the UAE have concluded. And this was the first format of this kind in quite some time: two days of trilateral meetings. A lot was discussed, and it is important that the conversations were constructive. The negotiations also… — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 24, 2026

"A lot was discussed, and it is important that the conversations were constructive," he said.

Who Attended the Talks?

The discussions brought together senior military and intelligence officials from all three sides. Ukraine's delegation was led by Defence Minister Rustem Umerov and included military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov. The Russian side was represented by members of its armed forces and military intelligence, while the US delegation included President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner and senior White House advisers.

Potential Frameworks and Next Steps

According to Zelenskyy, the US delegation raised possible frameworks for formalising a future settlement. This included proposals related to American monitoring and oversight in the event of a ceasefire or peace arrangement.

"As a result of the meetings held over these days, all sides agreed to report back in their capitals on each aspect of the negotiations and to coordinate further steps with their leaders," Zelenskyy said. He added that military representatives had identified a set of issues for a potential follow-up meeting.

Echoing this assessment, Russian state media TASS reported that the talks had produced results and could continue in the coming days.

Diplomacy Amidst Escalation

The diplomatic engagement unfolded against the backdrop of intensified Russian aerial attacks on Ukraine. Ukrainian officials said hundreds of drones and missiles struck Kyiv, Kharkiv and other cities overnight, killing at least one person and disrupting electricity and heating supplies for millions as temperatures fell below freezing.

Amid these developments, Zelenskyy said on Friday that it was "too early" to make any assessment of the outcome of the discussions. He reiterated that Ukraine would not agree to territorial concessions demanded by Moscow.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)