U.S., Ukraine And Russia To Hold First Trilateral Talks In UAE Since 2022

U.S., Ukraine and Russia to Hold First Trilateral Talks in UAE Since 2022
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Ukrainian, United States and Russian negotiators are set to convene in Abu Dhabi on Friday and Saturday for what officials describe as the first trilateral diplomatic talks involving all three countries since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The landmark meeting is being framed as an attempt to address diplomatic and security impasses in the nearly four-year war. Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov confirmed that Russian, Ukrainian and U.S. officials will participate in what he called “the first meeting of the trilateral working group on security issues” in the UAE capital. The format follows recent bilateral talks between U.S. and Russian representatives in Moscow late Thursday, where U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump held discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The UAE talks represent a rare diplomatic step involving Kyiv, Washington and Moscow together, after years of fighting that have killed tens of thousands and reshaped European security landscapes. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously announced the meeting while attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, noting that the talks would take place over two days and that Russians “have to be ready for compromises.” Zelenskyy described the session as a technical-level trilateral meeting with details on formats still emerging and said Ukrainian negotiators will be joined by senior security officials in discussions intended to move negotiations forward. The UAE has played a growing diplomatic role as a venue for talks involving Russia and Ukraine, having previously hosted meetings focused on prisoner exchanges and other wartime negotiations. Meduza The United States Ukraine’s principal military and diplomatic backer has been reshaping its engagement strategy under President Donald Trump, including opening direct contact channels with Moscow. The high-level presence of special envoys and the Trump family’s involvement signal Washington’s intensified push to find a negotiated pathway out of the conflict.
U.S. envoys traveling from Moscow to Abu Dhabi are expected to integrate outcomes from their talks with Putin into the trilateral process. Russian officials described the preceding bilateral discussions with the U.S. as “exceptionally substantive, confidential and constructive,” though no formal agreements were announced.
Kyiv’s leadership has maintained that Ukraine’s territorial integrity is a non-negotiable starting point for any diplomatic deal, emphasizing that compromises must respect internationally recognized borders. Zelenskyy reiterated the need for genuine concessions from Moscow if the war is to end.
Ukrainian negotiators are expected to push for security guarantees and frameworks for post-war reconstruction and future peace, though analysts caution that major differences particularly over territory and sovereignty remain major obstacles to a settlement.
Moscow confirmed its participation in the UAE talks after President Putin’s meeting with U.S. envoys, but Russian officials have emphasized that any long-term settlement must consider territorial issues, particularly regarding Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea. Kremlin aides have described continued dialogue as necessary but stopped short of committing to concessions.
Russia’s involvement in a trilateral setting marks a shift from earlier phases of the war, when negotiations when they occurred were mostly bilateral or conducted through intermediaries
The talks, scheduled through Friday and Saturday, are being watched closely by global leaders and diplomats as a litmus test for fresh momentum in diplomatic engagement over the Ukraine conflict. Officials have underscored that while this trilateral meeting is historic in format, substantive breakthroughs will depend on narrowing gaps on core issues such as territorial control, security guarantees and the sequence of peace implementation.
Observers stress that even if no immediate ceasefire agreement emerges from Abu Dhabi, the trilateral format itself could open a new phase of negotiations after years of stalemate.
First trilateral engagement between Kiev, Moscow and Washington since 2022, marking a potential diplomatic shift.
UAE hosts the talks underlining its growing role as a neutral diplomatic venue. Talks could influence future peace prospects, though core disagreements remain on territorial and security issues.