Direct Ukraine-US-Russia talks start in Abu Dhabi: Kremlin calls it positive

Peskov said in particular that the trilateral meeting in Abu Dhabi is "complex negotiations" that began at the expert level. The Kremlin considers this good news.

"The work is underway. It is good that it has begun in the form of direct contacts. These are very complex negotiations that started at the expert level. As you know, an agreement has been reached to continue them. The work will continue," he said.

Overall, Peskov described the discussions as progress, but immediately added that everything would allegedly depend on the "constructiveness" of the negotiators, apparently referring to the United States and Ukraine.

"But further, everything will depend on the constructiveness of the interlocutors. Russia continues to remain open to the negotiation process," the spokesperson for the Russian president added.

The first trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States took place in Abu Dhabi over the weekend. Overall, the talks received a positive assessment from the American side. Ukraine also described the trilateral talks very positively. The next meeting will take place on February 1.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that during the meetings in Abu Dhabi, the parties worked through all points of the 20-point peace plan, and the number of contentious issues in the negotiation process was significantly reduced.

For its part, an RBC-Ukraine source reported that the January 23–24 meeting was of an introductory nature. In fact, the parties familiarized themselves with each other's positions. A number of sensitive issues still remain to be discussed, including territories, security guarantees, and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.