Ukraine, US, and Russia discussed full peace plan in Abu Dhabi — Zelenskyy
Photo: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (president.gov.ua)
The Ukraine-US-Russia talks took place in Abu Dhabi in a trilateral format for the first time in years, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated during his visit to Lithuania.
He said that the parties discussed the full 20-point peace plan, and the number of contentious issues in the negotiations has decreased.
Ukraine's firm territorial stance
Zelenskyy stressed that Russia has long sought to achieve its goal of pushing Ukraine out of its eastern regions, but the Russian army is currently unable to accomplish this on the front lines.
The President emphasized that Ukraine's stance remains unchanged: the country's territorial integrity must be respected, and Ukraine is fighting for its own land.
Сompromise attempts with US mediation
Zelenskyy noted that Ukrainian and Russian positions are fundamentally different, while the US attempts to identify possible compromise solutions.
"We are taking steps by engaging in a trilateral format. These are the first steps toward compromise. But for a compromise to work, all parties must be willing to compromise—including the US side," he said.
Abu Dhabi talks
The first round of trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi concluded yesterday, focusing on ways to achieve a peaceful resolution. While Ukrainian officials described the dialogue as constructive, no agreement was reached on territorial issues.
Russia insists on the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the Donbas, which Kyiv firmly rejects.
According to the source familiar with the course of the talks, the first round was an introductory session. On January 24, the parties met in an expanded format and then split into two subgroups—one political and one military.
The source reported significant progress on military-related issues, but no resolution to territorial disputes.
US Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff also praised the Abu Dhabi talks and confirmed that consultations would continue.
The next round of trilateral talks is expected on February 1.
Meanwhile, media reports say the Kremlin insists that Ukrainian and Russian authorities split the electricity produced by the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
