Washington promoted the first trilateral contact between Russia and Ukraine in four years, with Abu Dhabi as the venue and security as the central focus
Delegations from the United States, Ukraine and Russia are meeting this Friday in Abu Dhabi to hold the first formal trilateral talks since the start of the war, with a focus on security issues and on exploring a possible political agreement to end the conflict.
The meeting was agreed after negotiations held in Moscow between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the White House envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Russian presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov confirmed this, and he described the previous talks as "useful in every way."
A trilateral working group driven by Washington
According to Ushakov, the parties agreed to create a trilateral working group on security, whose first meeting is being held in the United Arab Emirates. "We are sincerely interested in resolving the conflict by political and diplomatic means", the Kremlin official stated, although he clarified that Russia will continue with its military objectives as long as there is no agreement.
EEUU, Ucrania y Rusia inician en Abu Dhabi sus primeras conversaciones trilaterales sobre la guerra
From Moscow, officials acknowledged the United States' active role in preparing the meeting. "The Americans have done a lot for its organization and they are confident that the meeting will be successful", Ushakov pointed out, while emphasizing that Washington is seeking to move toward a "peace settlement agreement."
Delegations and key figures at the negotiating table
The Russian delegation will be headed by Admiral Igor Kostiukov, director of the GRU military intelligence agency, accompanied by Kiril Dmitriev, the Kremlin's envoy for economic affairs. Both will travel to Abu Dhabi in the coming hours.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that the delegation will be led by Rustem Umerov, secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, together with Lieutenant General Andriy Gnatov, chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces.
Zelensky stated that a draft agreement is "almost ready" and he affirmed that there are points of agreement with President Donald Trump regarding the need for post-conflict security guarantees. He also indicated that the United Kingdom and France committed forces on the ground.
Frozen assets and economic proposals
During the talks in Moscow, Putin raised with the U.S. representatives the possibility of allocating frozen Russian assets in the United States to initiatives linked to peace. According to Ushakov, Russia would be willing to transfer up to one billion dollars to the Peace Board promoted by Trump for Gaza.
EEUU, Ucrania y Rusia inician en Abu Dhabi sus primeras conversaciones trilaterales sobre la guerra
In addition, the Russian leader proposed that the rest of the frozen assets be used as part of a reparations scheme for the reconstruction of Ukrainian territories devastated by the war, once a peace agreement is signed.
The territorial obstacle and the conditions for lasting peace
Russia currently occupies nearly 20% of Ukrainian territory and it demands that any agreement include full control of Donbas. Kyiv flatly rejected any territorial concession, warning that it would strengthen Moscow and would not prevent a future offensive.
The Kremlin reiterated that without a solution to the territorial issue there will be no "lasting" peace. Ushakov indicated that the settlement must conform to the so-called "Anchorage formula", in reference to the summit held in August 2025 between Putin and Trump.
Meanwhile, as the talks continue, Moscow insists that it keeps the strategic initiative on the front, despite the weather difficulties in eastern Ukraine, and that it will continue with its military strategy until it reaches an acceptable agreement.
