Russia says Ukraine, US talks ‘planned’ for Abu Dhabi

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov disclosed that Russia, Ukraine, and the United States are set to reconvene trilateral talks aimed at ending the protracted Ukraine war in Abu Dhabi during the first half of November. This announcement comes on the heels of a meeting this week in Saint Petersburg between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US special envoy Steve Witkoff, which reignited discussions on resuming the stalled talks.

Peskov stated that Russia is prepared to reinitiate the dialogue, which has been suspended since the beginning of the year, and emphasized that the upcoming negotiations will be conducted in a trilateral format in Abu Dhabi. The diplomatic push for these talks has been bolstered by the US administration, with Witkoff engaging in a series of meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders in Oslo prior to his encounter with Putin.

Both Kyiv and Moscow have expressed their willingness to engage in direct talks facilitated by Washington. Putin, in a recent televised interview, indicated that the primary focus of the trilateral discussions would revolve around the security provisions of a final peace agreement, rather than a mere cessation of hostilities.