Officials from all three governments say follow-up negotiations after the Abu Dhabi talks are being planned, even as core disputes over territory and security guarantees remain unresolved.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The United States, Russia, and Ukraine have each confirmed that additional trilateral peace talks aimed at ending the Ukraine war are expected to take place as early as next week, following two days of negotiations held in the United Arab Emirates. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow on Monday that further talks are “scheduled for next week,” though he said an exact date had not yet been finalized.
U.S. negotiator Steve Witkoff earlier said “plans were made to continue conversations next week in Abu Dhabi,” reinforcing expectations that the diplomatic process will continue in the near term. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also indicated over the weekend that another round could occur “as early as next week,” provided Washington and Moscow agreed, with discussions potentially beginning this coming weekend.
The weekend talks marked a significant development, with Ukrainian and Russian negotiators sitting in the same room alongside U.S. intermediaries in Abu Dhabi for two days of discussions. According to sources cited by Axios, the talks concluded with a joint lunch involving both Russian and Ukrainian delegations, and participants described the outcome as “good” progress.
Witkoff characterized the discussions as “constructive,” while Zelensky said they focused on “the possible parameters for ending the war.” He emphasized what he described as a shared understanding that the process would require “American monitoring and control over the process of ending the war and maintaining real security.” Zelensky later said an agreement on U.S. security guarantees was “100% ready” and awaiting signature.
Public commentary on the talks, including remarks shared online, suggested the negotiations represent a new phase in diplomacy, even as substantial disagreements persist.
Despite the reported progress, Zelensky acknowledged that fundamental differences remain. He said there are fewer “problematic issues” than before but reiterated Ukraine’s position that its territory is not negotiable, directly rejecting Russia’s demand that Kyiv relinquish control of eastern regions.
“I won’t repeat it, everyone knows our position. We are fighting for our country, for what is ours. We are not fighting on the territory of another country, so what questions could there be for us?” Zelensky said. “Yes, these are two fundamentally different positions – the Ukrainian and the Russian. The Americans are trying to find a compromise.”
Russian negotiators sought to portray Kyiv’s stance as an obstacle to ending the conflict. Moscow envoy Kirill Dmitriev said Zelensky’s recent remarks to European leaders were counterproductive, stating, “Zelensky’s lecturing of Europeans in Davos did not go well. His delay in accepting territorial concessions is delaying peace.”
Ukrainian officials, meanwhile, accused Russia of undermining the talks by continuing large-scale airstrikes on civilian and energy infrastructure during the negotiation period. Power outages remain widespread across parts of Ukraine amid freezing winter conditions following recent strikes on the national energy network.
All three sides have indicated that further discussions are expected, though officials have cautioned that no final agreements have been reached and that major points of contention remain on the table as negotiations continue.
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