Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that the recent Russia-Ukraine talks in Abu Dhabi were “constructive,” noting the meetings marked the first such format in some time and focused on potential terms to end Moscow’s war.
Zelenskyy explained the talks—hosted by the United Arab Emirates over two days—involved political and military representatives from all three sides and addressed security-related issues, including the need for American monitoring and oversight.
“A great deal was discussed, and it’s important that the ,” he wrote on X, adding the delegations could hold further meetings as early as next week. “Following the meetings over these days, all sides agreed to report back to their capitals on every aspect of the negotiations and coordinate next steps with their leaders.”
The Abu Dhabi talks followed a Thursday meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner (son-in-law of former President Donald Trump), and Josh Gruenbaum, head of the Federal Acquisition Service.
Putin aide Yuri Ushakov said the “extremely frank” discussions lasted roughly four hours and included U.S. officials sharing updates with Ukrainian and European leaders.
“Importantly, those participating in the conversation between the Russian President and the Americans reaffirmed that a lasting settlement would be unlikely without addressing the territorial issue based on the ,” Ushakov stated, according to a Kremlin summary of the meeting.
Territorial issues remain a key obstacle in the negotiations, with Moscow pressing Kyiv to relinquish parts of eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region that Russian forces do not fully control.
The diplomatic efforts come as Russia continues its strikes across Ukraine, targeting the country’s energy sector, critical infrastructure, and residential areas.
Zelenskyy noted on Sunday that Russian forces launched more than 1,700 attack drones, over 1,380 guided aerial bombs, and 69 missiles in the past week alone.
The European Commission, the EU’s executive body, stated regarding the trilateral talks that it was deploying 447 emergency generators to help restore power to hospitals, shelters, and critical services, as more than one million Ukrainians face outages amid freezing temperatures.
“The EU will not let Russia freeze Ukraine into submission and will continue helping Ukrainians get through this winter,” the commission said.