On Friday, January 23, a senior negotiation team from the United States, Russia, and Ukraine convened in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, for a two-day technical discussion. This marks the first official meeting of representatives from the three countries under the “trilateral dialogue mechanism” since the outbreak of the war in 2022, symbolizing that the peace process has reached its “final mile”.
The opening of the Abu Dhabi talks was a result of a crucial “marathon meeting” held from Thursday night to Friday morning in Moscow. President Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law Jared Kushner engaged in a closed-door conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin for over three hours.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov described the dialogue as “highly constructive and extremely frank.” Witkoff expressed optimism before flying to Abu Dhabi, stating that the differences between the two sides had narrowed down to the “final issue” – territorial division and ownership.
The talks that began on Friday will focus on military de-escalation zones, delineation of ceasefire lines, and the most contentious territorial details.
The Russian negotiation team is led by Admiral Igor Kostyukov, head of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), focusing on the practical aspects of military technology.
The Ukrainian team is led by Rustem Umerov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, and Andrii Hnatov, Chief of the General Staff.
The U.S. technical team led by Witkoff is mediating under the framework of Trump’s proposed “peace plan”.
Despite the high level of diplomatic intensity, substantive differences remain sharp. Russia reiterated during the talks that any long-term solution must be based on the “Anchorage formula” agreed upon by Trump and Putin in August 2025 during their meeting in Alaska. This implies Russia’s demand for full control of the eastern Donetsk region and the freezing of the existing frontlines.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated in a recent media briefing that he is closely monitoring the progress in Abu Dhabi. He stated that while his meeting with Trump in Davos was very positive and the U.S. security guarantee is “ready”, Ukraine will not easily cede the 5,000 square kilometers of land that Russia has not yet conquered without substantial guarantees of peace.
In order to promote the agreement, Trump showcased an enticing “economic blueprint” to world leaders in Davos. He promised that peace in Venezuela and Ukraine would bring significant benefits in terms of oil revenue and mineral development opportunities.
(This article was referenced from Reuters and CNN reports)