Ukrainian, United States and Russian officials are set to hold trilateral security talks in the United Arab Emirates on Friday, the Kremlin has said, as diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine gather momentum.
The talks follow a high-level meeting in Moscow between Russian President Vladimir Putin and senior US negotiators, who discussed a US-drafted plan aimed at ending Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II.
According to a Kremlin statement, US negotiators led by envoy Steve Witkoff met with Putin late into the night in Moscow. Kremlin diplomatic adviser Yuri Ushakov described the discussions as “useful in every respect.”
Witkoff and the US delegation are expected to fly to Abu Dhabi, where the next phase of talks will take place. A Russian delegation, led by General Igor Kostyukov, Director of Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency, is also heading to the UAE.
“It was agreed that the first meeting of a trilateral working group on security issues will take place today in Abu Dhabi,” Ushakov said.
While stressing Russia’s interest in a political and diplomatic resolution, Ushakov added that Moscow would continue to pursue its objectives on the battlefield until an agreement is reached.
“We are genuinely interested in resolving the conflict through political and diplomatic means,” he said. “Until that happens, Russia will continue to achieve its objectives.”
Witkoff had earlier said the negotiations were “down to one issue,” without providing details.
Footage released by the Kremlin showed Putin smiling as he shook hands with Witkoff, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and White House adviser Josh Gruenbaum.
The developments come hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a draft peace agreement was “nearly, nearly ready,” adding that he and Trump had reached an understanding on post-war security guarantees. Zelensky also disclosed that the United Kingdom and France had already committed to deploying forces on the ground.
Russia currently occupies around 20 per cent of Ukrainian territory and is pushing for full control of the eastern Donbas region as part of any settlement. Kyiv has rejected territorial concessions, warning that ceding land would embolden Moscow and increase the risk of future aggression.
Details of the UAE talks remain unclear, including whether Russian and Ukrainian officials will meet face-to-face. Zelensky said the discussions are expected to last two days.
US President Donald Trump reiterated on Wednesday that he believed both sides were close to a deal. “I believe they’re at a point now where they can come together and get a deal done,” he said while speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
At the same forum, Zelensky criticised the European Union for what he described as a lack of political will in countering Russian aggression, warning that Europe remains fragmented and overly reliant on the United States for security.
Meanwhile, Russian missile strikes this week have left large parts of Kyiv without electricity and heating, with thousands of buildings affected amid sub-zero temperatures. Moscow says the strikes target energy infrastructure supporting Ukraine’s military industry, while Kyiv has accused Russia of committing war crimes aimed at breaking civilian morale.
