Ukrainian, Russian and U.S. negotiators hold trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi

Ukrainian, Russian and American negotiators met in Abu Dhabi on Friday, marking the first trilateral talks since the start of the war in Ukraine and signaling a measure of progress in President Trump’s efforts to end the conflict. President Volodymyr Zelensky said the talks could focus on postwar control of territory in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas.

The United Arab Emirates Foreign Ministry said the talks began Friday evening and were expected to last two days. The Kremlin confirmed Russian participation in a security working group in Abu Dhabi, led by Igor Kostyukov, and said Ukraine’s delegation would be led by Rustem Umerov; a separate bilateral working group on economic issues between Russia and the United States was also slated.

On the table was a revised 20-point peace plan drawn up by Ukraine and the United States covering territorial arrangements, security guarantees and postwar reconstruction, but the parties remain at odds over territory and security guarantees. Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were expected to be in Abu Dhabi; the Kremlin said Mr.

Witkoff would lead the bilateral economic talks with Kirill Dmitriev. Mr. Witkoff said working groups would handle "military-to-military" aspects and "prosperity," and that "I think we’ve got it down to one issue," a comment Mr. Zelensky said referred to control of territory in eastern Ukraine.

Key Topics

World, Ukraine, Donbas, Abu Dhabi, Volodymyr Zelensky, Igor Kostyukov