On Saturday, January 24, talks on a possible end to the war between Ukraine and Russia were held in Abu Dhabi with the participation of three parties — Ukraine, the United States, and the Russian Federation. According to the American publication Axios, the discussions were held not only in a trilateral format, but also in a bilateral format — without the participation of US representatives.
According to unnamed American and Ukrainian officials, Ukrainian and Russian delegations held direct meetings on Friday and Saturday in parallel with joint sessions with US representatives. According to the newspaper's interlocutors, such talks began the day before and continued the next day.
American participants reported "significant progress" during the discussions, which covered key issues: Russia's territorial claims in Donbas, the status of the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, and steps needed to de-escalate the conflict and ensure that war does not resume.
“Everything was discussed. No one on either side was embarrassed by the discussions. We didn’t leave any issues unaddressed or force anyone to do anything. We saw a lot of respect in the room, because they were really looking for a solution,” said one American official.
During a "joint lunch" after the second day of negotiations, the Americans noticed that the participants in the Russian and Ukrainian delegations behaved "almost like friends," which, they said, gives some hope for progress.
At the same time, the publication emphasizes the contrast between the progress of the negotiations and the background of events: just this week, Russia carried out massive attacks on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure and energy sector. However, American officials said that the negotiations went "better than expected" and they are satisfied with what has already been discussed.
Ukrainian officials are taking a more reserved stance. One official said that while the sides have made some progress, it is still unclear whether the Kremlin leadership has any intention of actually ending the war. It is also unclear whether the Russian negotiators have the authority to make political decisions or make deals.
The result of bilateral and trilateral consultations was the decision to continue the negotiations. The next round is tentatively scheduled for February 1. American officials also expressed hope for a possible meeting at the highest level — between the presidents of Ukraine and Russia. According to them, such a meeting “could take place in Moscow or Kyiv,” but there is no final decision yet.
"We believe that these meetings should take place before the leaders' meeting. We don't think that's far off. If we continue on the current path, we will get there," said one of the American interlocutors.
