Russia will participate in trilateral peace talks with Ukraine and the United States for the first time, with the meeting scheduled in Abu Dhabi today, Kremlin confirmed.
The announcement followed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s meeting in Moscow on Thursday night with US President Donald Trump’s peace envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
The Kremlin described the discussions as “exceptionally substantive, constructive, and… extremely frank and trusting,” but cautioned that a breakthrough was uncertain. Moscow reiterated a longstanding warning that a lasting settlement is impossible without resolving territorial disputes, referencing agreements from last year’s Trump-Putin summit in Alaska.
At the same time, Russia stated it would continue military operations until a diplomatic resolution is reached.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested that the trilateral meeting was a last-minute initiative from Washington, arranged after his own meeting with Trump in Davos. Kyiv said it would send lead negotiator Rustem Umerov and Zelenskyy’s chief of staff Kyrylo Budanov, while Russia will be represented by Admiral Igor Kostyukov.
Alaska Summit
Although no formal deal was made during Trump and Putin’s meeting in Alaska in August, discussions reportedly included Ukraine potentially ceding territory in exchange for an end to hostilities.
Putin is said to have requested control over the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions, including areas not under Russian control, a proposal Zelenskyy has firmly rejected. Kyiv argues that conceding these territories would compromise Ukraine’s defensive lines and allow further Russian offensives.
Zelenskyy Voices Frustration
The announcement of trilateral talks follows a fiery speech by Zelenskyy in Davos, where he criticized Europe for inaction, warning against a perpetual “groundhog day” scenario. “Just last year here in Davos, I ended my speech with the words ‘Europe needs to know how to defend itself’ a year has passed and nothing has changed,” he said.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen responded, emphasizing Europe’s support: “We have backed the heroic fight of the Ukrainian people for four years… with more than €193bn provided and another €90bn committed for the next two years.”
Zelenskyy’s Davos visit also included a “positive” meeting with Trump, during which a peace plan was described as “nearly ready.” Both Kyiv and Moscow, however, remain focused on territorial disputes, with Ukraine aiming to uphold its red lines over Russian demands. Zelenskyy also announced agreements on a new air defense package and claimed Russia was losing 45,000 troops per month.
