Abu Dhabi talks: Inside the first-ever Ukraine–US–Russia meeting
Photo: US, Ukraine and Russia gathered for talks in Abu Dhabi (Russian media)
Envoys of Ukraine, the United States and Russia have gathered for the first trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi (the capital of the United Arab Emirates). The main topic of the discussions is Donbas.
RBC-Ukraine outlines the key points of the talks and what preceded the trilateral meeting.
Key points:
- Meeting in Abu Dhabi – direct talks between Ukraine and Russia with the participation of the United States
- Yesterday, Zelenskyy met with Trump in Davos, while US envoys met with Putin in the Kremlin.
- The talks in Abu Dhabi will last two days.
- The main topic is Donbas.
- The Ukrainian delegation is led by Umerov, the Russian one by Kostyukov. From the US — Witkoff, Kushner, Driscoll.
Follow the meeting updates:
3:26 pm
"Anchorage formula": Russia ready to freeze front in the south if it gains control of Donbas, writes Reuters.
A source close to the Kremlin told Reuters that Moscow sees the so-called "Anchorage formula," which Moscow says Trump and Putin agreed to at a summit last August, as meaning Russian control of all of Donbas and a freeze of current front lines in other areas of Ukraine.
3:02 pm
Zelenskyy had consultations with Ukraine’s negotiating team.
“Before the start of the talks, we discussed the topics. I spoke with the head of the delegation, Rustem Umerov. The entire team was on speakerphone, and we spoke with everyone. Everyone understands what to do,” the president told reporters.
The delegation discussed the framework of the talks, the agenda, and the desired outcome. They also discussed formats, which may vary and will be determined by the group directly on the ground, reacting in the process depending on how the dialogue develops.
“Because this format is the first in a long period. We will remain in constant contact. And with the team, from time to time, they will be communicating with me,” Zelenskyy added.
1:52 pm
The Italian outlet Corriere della Sera, citing sources, writes that four documents that could form the basis of a peace treaty will be presented at the meeting of the negotiating groups.
The documents allegedly provide for the transfer of all of Donbas to the Russian side. In return, Ukraine will receive a plan of public and private financing worth $800 billion.
1:04 pm (Kyiv time)
Sky News wrote that negotiations between Ukraine, the US, and Russia in Abu Dhabi have already started.
Ukraine's Presidential Office clarified the situation to journalists. It emphasized that there is no official start time for the talks. Some teams are already on site and conducting informal discussions, but this does not mean it is the start of the meeting, as partners now often work in the "during lunch" or waiting format.
Advisor to the President of Ukraine on Communications Dmytro Lytvyn explained that these are conversations involving "non-formal" people (i.e., various representatives).
It cannot be evaluated as a regular political meeting, which happens within some clear framework, he added.
Topic of Ukraine-US-Russia negotiations
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the Donbas issue will be discussed in trilateral negotiations between the US, Ukraine, and Russia in Abu Dhabi.
"The issue of Donbas is key. It will be discussed — how the three sides see it — in Abu Dhabi today and tomorrow. Zelenskyy said, adding that the leader of the group Umerov will give me appropriate signals at every stage of those agreements.
Financial Times, citing two sources, wrote that the US and Ukraine discussed proposing an energy ceasefire at the trilateral talks.
Supposedly, Moscow stops attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities, and Kyiv stops attacks on Russian oil refineries. However, one source noted that Russian president Vladimir Putin is unlikely to agree, as he considers attacks on Ukraine’s energy sector an important lever of pressure.
A high-ranking Ukrainian official noted that Kyiv is also cautious about a possible energy ceasefire. The reason is successful drone strikes on Russian oil facilities and recently on tankers supplying fuel for its military operations.
Delegation members
Ukraine:
- Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Rustem Umerov (heads Ukraine’s negotiation group)
- Head of President's Office Kyrylo Budanov and his deputy Sergiy Kyslytsya
- Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Andrii Hnatov
- MP, head of Servant of the People faction in the Verkhovna Rada Davyd Arakhamia
- Representative of the Defense Intelligence Vadym Skibitskyi
- Head of Defense Intelligense Oleh Ivashchenko
- First deputy secretary of NSDC Yevhenii Ostrianskyi
- First deputy head of the Security Service Oleksandr Poklad
- Advisor to the President’s Office of Ukraine Oleksandr Bevz
USA:
- Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner
- US Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll
Russia:
- Head of GRU Igor Kostyukov (head of the Russian negotiation group)
- Putin’s envoy, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Kirill Dmitriev
According to the Russian side, their delegation mainly consists of Ministry of Defense representatives.
Latest version of the peace plan
Discussions on resolving the war in Ukraine are taking place within the framework of a 20-point peace plan.
Zelenskyy previously stated that the joint peace plan with the US, worked on by both sides, is 90% ready. From the initial 28 points, the document was reduced to 20. Zelenskyy had already disclosed the full content to journalists. RBC-Ukraine published the list of points.
According to Bloomberg, on the eve of the trilateral talks, the US unofficially handed the latest version of the plan to Putin through his aide Dmitriev.
This allowed the Russian president to prepare "comments and proposals" for night negotiations in the Kremlin involving special envoys Witkoff and Kushner.
Media notes that the Kremlin perceives receiving the draft as a step forward, while many issues are either not addressed or formulated so that Russia considers them "unsatisfactory".
Previous bilateral meetings
US-Ukraine: Trump and Zelenskyy met in Davos
A day before the trilateral meeting, the US held bilateral talks with both Ukraine and Russia.
On the sidelines of the Davos forum yesterday, 22 January, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with US leader Donald Trump.
Their meeting lasted almost an hour and ended with a short one-on-one.
Both sides assessed the negotiations as "good." Trump, speaking to journalists on the way from Davos, said that leaders of Ukraine and Russia want to make a deal, but avoided answering which concessions Russia would make.
"The Russians have to be ready for compromises, because, you know, everybody has to be ready, not only Ukraine, and this is important for us," Zelenskyy told reporters.
The US side claims an agreement is close enough. But in response to whether a peace deal is possible, Trump said that "we need to see what happens."
The plans for a trilateral meeting in the UAE at a technical level were first announced by President Zelenskyy yesterday during a Davos speech following talks with Trump.
As the Financial Times reported, citing sources in the US and Ukraine, Moscow had not confirmed participation at that time. The Kremlin agreed to talks after US envoys met with Putin yesterday evening.
US-Russia: Night of US talks with Putin in the Kremlin
Late in the evening on Thursday, 22 January, US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Putin in the Kremlin. Their negotiations lasted about 4 hours. Moscow stated that "the territorial issue was not resolved."
As Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said, the parties agreed on the first trilateral working group meeting on security issues in Abu Dhabi on Friday.
Putin’s aide Ushakov said after talks with the US that "without resolving the territorial issue," according to the so-called "Anchorage formula," long-term peace in Ukraine is impossible.
The "Anchorage formula" in Russian rhetoric is not a peace plan, but a list of territorial conditions Moscow considers mandatory. The main point is recognition of "new realities" on the battlefield.
He added that Russia is allegedly interested in a diplomatic settlement, but until that happens, it will continue the war against Ukraine.
Ushakov officially stated that a delegation from the Ministry of Defense leadership was sent to Abu Dhabi, receiving "specific instructions" from Putin.
Bilateral talks will also take place in Abu Dhabi between Kremlin envoy Dmitriev and Trump envoy Witkoff.
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