Two days of three‑way talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States in Abu Dhabi have concluded without a breakthrough. President Volodymyr Zelensky described the discussions as constructive and said delegations would reconvene on Sunday 1 February in the United Arab Emirates, a timetable later echoed by a US official. The sessions unfolded as fresh Russian attacks hit Ukrainian cities overnight. (apnews.com)
The UAE confirmed it hosted the first public trilateral engagement since Russia’s full‑scale invasion in 2022. The US team included special envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner; Russia’s delegation was led by military intelligence chief Admiral Igor Kostyukov, according to state and regional reporting. Emirati officials framed the meeting as part of efforts to identify political solutions and indicated further contact is planned. (en.people.cn)
According to readouts summarised by Ukrainian and US officials, the agenda centred on parameters for ending the war, with Kyiv emphasising the value of American monitoring and oversight of any agreement. Delegations agreed to report back to their capitals and coordinate subsequent steps before returning to Abu Dhabi. (axios.com)
Territory remains the central obstacle. Speaking in Davos on 22 January, Zelensky said the unresolved question is the future status of eastern Ukraine: “It’s all about the land.” He also said a US‑Ukraine framework on security guarantees was essentially ready pending leaders’ signatures and legislative approval. (cbsnews.com)
Moscow has reiterated that any settlement must address territory “under the Anchorage formula”, a reference to the Trump–Putin meeting in Alaska in August 2025. After late‑night talks in Moscow this week, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov again stressed the territorial precondition. While Russia cites Anchorage, independent reporting of the 2025 summit indicated no formal accord was announced, and Kyiv has repeatedly rejected ceding Donbas. (pravda.com.ua)
The diplomatic track ran alongside renewed strikes on Ukraine. Officials reported at least one person killed and more than a dozen injured overnight in Kyiv and Kharkiv, with damage to a maternity facility and a dormitory for displaced people. Kyiv’s mayor said heating was again disrupted for thousands of apartment blocks after energy infrastructure was targeted amid temperatures near −12°C. (itv.com)
Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha condemned the timing of the bombardment, saying Russian missiles “hit not only our people, but also the negotiation table.” He argued the assault underscored that Vladimir Putin belongs in a special tribunal dock, not on US President Donald Trump’s newly announced “Board of Peace”. The Kremlin has said it received an invitation to that body but has not confirmed participation. (theguardian.com)
Zelensky has indicated that any post‑war US security guarantees would move through the US Congress and Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada. US officials have likewise signalled that elements of the proposed guarantees would require a vote on Capitol Hill. That legislative sequencing means timelines for implementation will depend on domestic processes in both countries once a text is agreed. (ndtv.com)
US briefings also referenced potential technical files in the talks, including the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and verification arrangements, with Washington proposing a role in monitoring compliance. No detailed text has been published, and officials on all sides said territorial provisions remain the unresolved issue. (apnews.com)
All three sides indicated they would return to their leaders with outcomes from Abu Dhabi and prepare for the next session on 1 February. Kyiv continues to stress that it will not accept the handover of occupied regions, while Moscow links progress to its territorial demands. For practitioners, the next round will test whether the parties can translate political direction into draft clauses on oversight, security guarantees and energy‑sector protections. (apnews.com)