Abu Dhabi talks: Inside the first-ever Ukraine–US–Russia meeting
- Open Media Ukraine
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Envoys of Ukraine, the United States and Russia have gathered for the first trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi (the capital of the United Arab Emirates). The main topic of the discussions is Donbas.
RBC-Ukraine outlines the key points of the talks and what preceded the trilateral meeting.
Key points:
Prior to the talks announcement, negotiators from Ukraine and Russia met separately with American officials, but did not communicate directly with each other (there were also trilateral talks mediated by Türkiye).
Ahead of Abu Dhabi, the Americans held separate meetings with Ukraine and Russia. Zelenskyy with Trump in Davos, and US envoys held talks with Putin in the Kremlin.
After today’s trilateral talks, the next round is expected tomorrow morning, January 24.
The main issue is territorial, concerning Donbas.
The Ukrainian delegation is led by NSDC Secretary Umerov, the Russian one by GRU chief Kostyukov. From the US — Witkoff, Kushner, Driscoll.
Follow the meeting updates:
1:52 pm
The Italian outlet Corriere della Sera, citing sources, writes that four documents that could form the basis of a peace treaty will be presented at the meeting of the negotiating groups.
The documents allegedly provide for the transfer of all of Donbas to the Russian side. In return, Ukraine will receive a plan of public and private financing worth $800 billion.
1:04 pm (Kyiv time)
Sky News wrote that negotiations between Ukraine, the US, and Russia in Abu Dhabi have already started.
Ukraine's Presidential Office clarified the situation to journalists. It emphasized that there is no official start time for the talks. Some teams are already on site and conducting informal discussions, but this does not mean it is the start of the meeting, as partners now often work in the "during lunch" or waiting format.
Advisor to the President of Ukraine on Communications Dmytro Lytvyn explained that these are conversations involving "non-formal" people (i.e., various representatives).
It cannot be evaluated as a regular political meeting, which happens within some clear framework, he added.
Topic of Ukraine-US-Russia negotiations
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the Donbas issue will be discussed in trilateral negotiations between the US, Ukraine, and Russia in Abu Dhabi.
"The issue of Donbas is key. It will be discussed — how the three sides see it — in Abu Dhabi today and tomorrow. Zelenskyy said, adding that the leader of the group Umerov will give me appropriate signals at every stage of those agreements.
Financial Times, citing two sources, wrote that the US and Ukraine discussed proposing an energy ceasefire at the trilateral talks.
Supposedly, Moscow stops attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities, and Kyiv stops attacks on Russian oil refineries. However, one source noted that Russian president Vladimir Putin is unlikely to agree, as he considers attacks on Ukraine’s energy sector an important lever of pressure.
A high-ranking Ukrainian official noted that Kyiv is also cautious about a possible energy ceasefire. The reason is successful drone strikes on Russian oil facilities and recently on tankers supplying fuel for its military operations.
Delegation members
Ukraine:
Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Rustem Umerov (heads Ukraine’s negotiation group)
Head of President's Office Kyrylo Budanov and his deputy Sergiy Kyslytsya
Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Andrii Hnatov
MP, head of Servant of the People faction in the Verkhovna Rada Davyd Arakhamia
Representative of the Defense Intelligence Vadym Skibitskyi
Head of Defense Intelligense Oleh Ivashchenko
First deputy secretary of NSDC Yevhenii Ostrianskyi
First deputy head of the Security Service Oleksandr Poklad
Advisor to the President’s Office of Ukraine Oleksandr Bevz
USA:
Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner
US Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll
Russia:
Head of GRU Igor Kostyukov (head of the Russian negotiation group)
Putin’s envoy, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Kirill Dmitriev
According to the Russian side, their delegation mainly consists of Ministry of Defense representatives.
Latest version of the peace plan
Discussions on resolving the war in Ukraine are taking place within the framework of a 20-point peace plan.
Zelenskyy previously stated that the joint peace plan with the US, worked on by both sides, is 90% ready. From the initial 28 points, the document was reduced to 20. Zelenskyy had already disclosed the full content to journalists.
According to Bloomberg, on the eve of the trilateral talks, the US unofficially handed the latest version of the plan to Putin through his aide Dmitriev.
This allowed the Russian president to prepare "comments and proposals" for night negotiations in the Kremlin involving special envoys Witkoff and Kushner.
Media notes that the Kremlin perceives receiving the draft as a step forward, while many issues are either not addressed or formulated so that Russia considers them "unsatisfactory".
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