Talks between Russia, Ukraine and the US in Abu Dhabi are continuing with a second day of discussions after the first session ended following around four hours without an announced ceasefire agreement. These are the first trilateral talks between the countries since February.
The US side is represented by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The Ukrainian delegation is led by Rustem Umerov, while the Russian delegation is headed by presidential adviser Vladimir Medinsky. The talks are being held at a working level, with the presidents of the three countries not participating in person.
Prisoners and de-escalation among the main topics
After the end of the first day, Volodymyr Zelensky said the talks had been “constructive and quite substantive.” According to him, possible humanitarian steps, the need for de-escalation and security guarantees for Ukraine were discussed. “The release of prisoners is a priority,” the Ukrainian president said, as quoted by The Kyiv Independent.
Issues discussed include the exchange of prisoners of war, the return of Ukrainian civilians and children held in Russian captivity, as well as possible limited agreements concerning maritime and energy infrastructure. Kyiv wants these issues to produce concrete humanitarian results before moving on to a broader political agreement.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the meeting as “very productive,” but warned that no decision should be expected within the next 24 hours. US envoy Jared Kushner said that “some good ideas on how to overcome” the differences between Moscow and Kyiv had emerged, The Associated Press reported.
Territories and guarantees remain unresolved
The second day is expected to continue with discussions on security guarantees, the future architecture of European security and preparations for a possible leaders’ meeting. European representatives from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, NATO and the European Commission are participating in separate formats with the Ukrainian and US sides.
The most difficult issues remain related to the territories and the future status of the occupied areas. According to The Kyiv Independent, Moscow is insisting that Ukraine withdraw from parts of Donbas, while Kyiv rejects such a condition and insists on a ceasefire without prior territorial concessions.
The second session is expected to show whether the talks will lead to an agreement on humanitarian issues or remain at the level of an exchange of positions. So far, no specific date has been announced for a meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.
Sources: apnews.com, kyivindependent.com