The first round of talks between Moscow-Kyiv and Washington ends in Abu Dhabi

The first round of trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States was held in Abu Dhabi on Friday to discuss a settlement proposed by US President Donald Trump aimed at ending the war.

The talks, which conclude on Saturday, are the first direct negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv on the US plan to end the war, which began with Russia’s invasion in February 2022.

Ahead of the start of talks, which are scheduled to resume on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that the issue of areas claimed by Russia remains the main issue and will be on the agenda in the UAE capital.

Rustam Umarov, a member of the Ukrainian negotiating delegation, wrote on X that focused on the criteria that allow an end to the war started by Russia, and the logic of the negotiation process aimed at pushing towards a lasting and honorable peace.

He noted that additional meetings are scheduled for tomorrow (Saturday).

The UAE Foreign Ministry reported on Friday that the talks had begun, noting that they are scheduled to continue for two days, as part of efforts to promote dialogue and find political solutions to the crisis.

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan met with the heads of delegations participating in the talks, expressing hope that they will yield positive results that contribute to ending the crisis that has been going on for years, according to official media in Abu Dhabi.

The talks in the UAE follow a meeting between the US and Ukrainian presidents in Davos this week, and after a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US envoy Steve Witkoff in the Kremlin, which extended until early Friday morning.

Diplomatic efforts, especially those by Trump, have intensified in recent months to end Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II, however, Moscow and Kyiv have yet to reach an agreement on the issue of territories and territory.

Russia stressed on Friday that it wouldn’t abandon its demands for Kyiv to withdraw from Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, a condition the latter considers unacceptable.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia’s position is very clear and that Ukraine and its armed forces must withdraw from the territory of Donbas, adding that this is a very important condition.

Both sides say the issue of eastern regions is one of the main issues hindering a settlement to the war, which has killed tens of thousands, displaced millions and caused widespread destruction, especially in the east.

Zelensky told reporters ahead of the trilateral talks that Donbas is a pivotal issue and hoped the talks would end the war,”

But he added: “Things may go differently, but it’s a step in the right direction”.

In a later post on Friday, he stressed that Ukraine shouldn’t only have the desire to end the war and establish full security, but also Russia, in some way, to show a similar desire”.

The German government on Friday expressed doubts that Russia would make concessions to resolve the dispute during talks in Abu Dhabi.

“We note that there are important questions about the extent to which Russia is willing to give up its extreme demands,” its spokesman Stefan Meyer said, before confirming that the Europeans hadn’t been invited to the talks, but had been consulted with Germany.

Putin met on Thursday night with a US delegation led by Steve Witkoff and Kushner.

After the talks, Yuri Ushakov, the Kremlin’s diplomatic adviser, told reporters that the talks were useful in all respects, adding, “We’re genuinely interested in resolving the conflict through political and diplomatic means”.

“Until that happens, Russia will continue to achieve its goals… On the battlefield”.

In related context, Zelensky confirmed that there was a draft agreement almost ready, noting that he had agreed with Trump on the issue of US security guarantees for Kyiv after the war.

Trump reiterated on Wednesday that Putin and Zelensky were close to reaching an agreement.

“I think they have now reached a stage where they can reach an agreement,” he said after a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos… If they don’t reach an agreement, they’re idiots, and that applies to both sides”.

But the issue of the territories has long been a sticking point in the way of reaching an agreement, and the positions of the two sides remain far apart.

In December, Zelensky appeared to be paving the way for possible concessions on the issue, but stressed that any deal involving ceding more territory would be put to a referendum.

Ukraine and Europe have been seeking weeks to revise a US proposal that met many of Moscow’s basic demands.

Zelensky detailed a new draft that appeared closer to Kiev’s position but didn’t address the territorial issue; Russia has voiced opposition to the amendments.

The European Union announced on Friday that it would send 447 generators on an emergency basis to help Ukrainians suffering power and heating cuts from Russia’s ongoing strikes on energy infrastructure.