Zelenskyy names parties in upcoming Abu Dhabi talks
Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Vitalii Nosach/RBC-Ukraine)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that a new round of trilateral talks involving Ukraine, the US, and Russia will take place next week in the United Arab Emirates.
"There was a report by our negotiating team. There is already an arrangement to hold a trilateral meeting at an appropriate level. This meeting will take place next week, as planned – on Wednesday and Thursday, in the United Arab Emirates, as last time," Zelenskyy said.
He added that he had spoken with National Security and Defense Council secretary Rustem Umerov and scheduled a meeting for the following day to finalize the discussion framework and prepare for the talks.
"On Monday evening, the team will already be en route to the negotiations. Many leaders, from different countries, are with us in this process, supporting Ukraine, and we coordinate virtually every day," the President said.
He also announced that February will see significant Ukrainian diplomatic activity, with contacts and meetings beginning as early as the following day.
Zelenskyy expressed hope that the US would also be actively involved, particularly regarding measures to reduce attacks.
"We expect the American side to be just as active, particularly when it comes to de-escalation measures – reducing strikes. Much depends on what the U.S. can achieve so that people trust both the process and the outcomes, of course," he said.
Abu Dhabi talks
Last week, on January 23–24, the first round of trilateral Ukraine-US-Russia talks took place in the United Arab Emirates. Washington described the meeting positively, while Kyiv called it substantive.
The greatest progress was reportedly made in the military framework, where officials discussed potential troop withdrawals, mechanisms for monitoring ceasefires, and the creation of a coordination center.
The parties also agreed to prepare proposals for a temporary truce ahead of the next meeting, but territorial issues remained unresolved.
The second round of negotiations was initially scheduled for February 1, but President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that it could be postponed due to the situation with Iran, as potential US strikes could affect the timing.
On February 1, Zelenskyy confirmed that the meeting has been rescheduled for next week.
The Ukrainian president also reiterated in a recent interview that resolving territorial disputes is impossible without a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
