Ukraine, Russia and the United States have concluded a second day of U.S.-brokered trilateral peace talks in Abu Dhabi, with Kyiv describing the discussions as “constructive”, despite continued large-scale Russian airstrikes overnight.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the meetings — the first trilateral negotiations in years involving Kyiv, Moscow and Washington — focused on possible parameters for ending the war and the security guarantees needed to ensure any future agreement is credible and enforceable.
“A lot was discussed, and it is important that the conversations were constructive,” Zelenskyy wrote on X, confirming that Ukraine’s delegation had formally reported back after the talks concluded.
Focus on Security Guarantees and Ceasefire Oversight
According to Zelenskyy, the U.S. delegation proposed potential frameworks for formalizing a peace settlement, including American monitoring and oversight mechanisms to support a possible ceasefire or peace agreement.
All sides agreed to brief their respective leaderships on each element of the negotiations and to coordinate further steps, with military representatives identifying issues that may be addressed in follow-up meetings as early as next week.
Russia’s state news agency TASS also confirmed that the talks yielded results and indicated that additional negotiations could take place in the coming days.
High-Level Delegations Participate
The talks brought together senior military and intelligence officials from all three parties:
- Ukraine was represented by Defence Minister Rustem Umerov and military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov
- Russia sent senior members of its armed forces and military intelligence services
- The United States was represented by Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s envoy, along with Jared Kushner and senior White House advisers
Talks Held Amid Escalating Russian Attacks
The diplomatic efforts took place against the backdrop of Russia’s largest aerial assault on Ukraine so far this year, according to Ukrainian officials.
Hundreds of drones and missiles struck Kyiv, Kharkiv and other major cities overnight, killing at least one person and leaving millions without electricity and heating as temperatures dropped below freezing.
Despite the talks, Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine will not accept territorial concessions demanded by Moscow, reiterating that it remains too early to draw final conclusions from the negotiations.
