Abu Dhabi talks: Zelenskyy reveals key takeaways
Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
Negotiations between Ukraine, the US, and Russia in Abu Dhabi have concluded, marking the first two-day trilateral talks in a long time, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Who took part
The Ukrainian leader said that the parties discussed a wide range of issues, and the talks were described as constructive.
Ukraine's delegation included National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov, Head of the President's Office Kyrylo Budanov, and his deputy Sergiy Kyslytsya, Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Andrii Hnatov, MP Davyd Arakhamia, and representative of the Defense Intelligence Vadym Skibitskyi.
The US was represented by Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, Dan Driscoll, Alex Grynkewich, and Josh Grunbaum. Russia sent representatives from its military and military intelligence services.
What was discussed
Zelenskyy said the central focus of the talks was the possible parameters for ending the war. Special attention was paid to the role of US monitoring and oversight in the peace process and ensuring real security guarantees.
The American side also raised the issue of how potential agreements to end the war could be formalized and what security conditions would be required.
Possible next steps
Following the meetings, the parties agreed to brief their capitals on the results and coordinate further steps with the countries' leaders. Military officials identified a list of issues for a possible follow-up meeting.
"If there is readiness to move forward—and Ukraine is ready—the next meetings will take place, potentially as soon as next week. I expect a personal briefing from the delegation upon its return," Zelenskyy said.
Talks in Abu Dhabi
The talks in Abu Dhabi began on January 23, with Ukraine's delegation led by National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov.
President Zelenskyy said the key issue was a territorial question, particularly the situation in Donbas. Ahead of the talks, the Kremlin demanded the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the region as one of its conditions.
Before the meeting, Zelenskyy held consultations with the negotiating team. After the first day of talks, Umerov revealed some details of the discussions in Abu Dhabi.
Media reports say today's talks took place in a "positive" and "constructive" manner.
