Russia demands Ukrainian troop withdrawal from Donbas ahead of Abu Dhabi talks
Photo: Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for Putin (Getty Images)
Ahead of trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi involving representatives of Ukraine, the US, and Russia, the Kremlin is demanding the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donbas, according to Russian media.
Putin's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov says that the Ukrainian Armed Forces must leave the Donbas region. He called this an important condition for the Russian side.
He also says that the Russian working group on security will consist of representatives of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
In addition, Peskov notes that Russia does not wish to publicly disclose details of the negotiation process on the war in Ukraine, as it considers this inappropriate.
Negotiations in Abu Dhabi
On January 23, the first trilateral meeting between Ukraine, the US, and Russia will take place in Abu Dhabi. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the key issue at this meeting will be the territorial issue regarding Donbas.
On January 22, Zelenskyy had a positive meeting with US President Donald Trump. The leaders of the two countries spoke one-on-one, and the meeting lasted a little over an hour.
At the same time, a meeting was held in the Kremlin between US Special Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and Vladimir Putin, which was also attended by his aide, Yuri Ushakov, and Special Representative Kirill Dmitriev. It lasted 3.5 hours.
Subsequently, Russia confirmed the negotiations in the UAE and also determined the composition of the participants.
The Russian delegation included high-ranking officials from the Russian Ministry of Defense who received instructions from the dictator. The negotiating group will be headed by GRU chief Igor Kostyukov.
Today, January 23, Volodymyr Zelenskyy expanded the composition of the Ukrainian delegation at the trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi. The Ukrainian negotiating team will be headed by National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov.
