Historic US, Ukraine, and Russia meeting in UAE for joint talks since 2022 invasion

ABU DHABI, UAE: Representatives from Ukraine, the United States and Russia began talks in the United Arab Emirates on Friday, January 23, marking the first known meeting involving all three sides since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The discussions come amid intensified diplomatic efforts led by Washington to broker a ceasefire and potential framework for ending the war.

The talks follow separate high-level meetings between US officials and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Fighting, however, has continued alongside negotiations.

Trilateral talks begin as territorial dispute dominates negotiations

Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov confirmed that Russia was participating in what he described as the “first meeting of the trilateral working group on security issues” in Abu Dhabi, corroborating earlier remarks by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Ushakov said Russia’s delegation consists solely of representatives from the Ministry of Defense and is led by Admiral Igor Olegovich Kostyukov, chief of the country’s Main Intelligence Directorate.

Ukraine’s delegation is led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and includes Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Andrii Hnatov and Chief of the General Staff Andrii Hnatov.

The White House has not commented publicly on the meeting. Ushakov characterized that meeting as “exceptionally substantive, constructive, and, I would say, extremely frank and confidential.”

However, he cautioned that a durable settlement remains elusive without resolving territorial issues.

“Without resolving the territorial issue… one should not count on achieving a long-term settlement,” Ushakov said, adding that Russia would continue pursuing its objectives “on the battlefield, where the Russian Armed Forces hold the strategic initiative,” until an agreement is reached.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said additional meetings could take place on Saturday “if needed,” and confirmed that Putin’s special envoy Kirill Dmitriev would also meet separately with US special envoy Steve Witkoff to discuss economic matters. 

Speaking in Davos on Thursday, Steve Witkoff suggested progress had been made.

“I think we’ve got it down to one issue, and we have discussed iterations of that issue, and that means it’s solvable,” he said.

A European official later confirmed that the unresolved issue is territory. President Donald Trump echoed that assessment during his Davos address. “I believe they’re at a point now where they can come together and get a deal done, and if they don’t, they’re stupid,” Trump said, referring to Putin and Zelenskyy.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the meeting in Davos 

Zelenskyy said on Thursday, January 22, that representatives from Ukraine, Russia and the United States were expected to hold trilateral talks later this week, describing them as the first such meeting since the war began.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Zelenskyy said that the discussions would likely take place in the UAE, “I think it will be the first trilateral meeting in (the) Emirates,” Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy said Ukrainian officials have been working closely with Trump’s negotiators as efforts continue to finalize a ceasefire framework acceptable to both Kyiv and Moscow.

“The documents aimed at ending this war are nearly, nearly ready,” he said, while acknowledging the complexity of the talks.

He emphasized that any agreement would require security guarantees backed by the United States.

“The UK and France are ready to actually commit their forces on the ground,” Zelenskyy said. “But the backstop of President Trump is needed. And again, no security guarantees work without the US.”