Delegates from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States are convening for the first time in a new trilateral format to explore possibilities for peace, primarily focusing on the future of the Donbas region.
Urgent peace discussions are set to occur in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, on Friday and Saturday. Delegates are arriving directly from previous meetings in Davos and Moscow to negotiate terms for the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The plans reportedly include two rounds of talks: one will be a bilateral working group between Russia and the United States, and another will mark the inaugural meeting of a trilateral working group involving Ukraine, Russia, and the United States.
These conversations are believed to be the first in-person meetings among the three nations since the conflict began nearly four years ago. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced late last night that the discussions would center on the Donbass region, which spans the Luhansk and Donetsk areas and is rich in coal. For almost 12 years, Russia has occupied the majority of Donbass and certain regions around the city of Donetsk, insisting that Ukraine must withdraw its forces entirely from there to bring an end to hostilities.
Quoting Ukrainian state media, President Zelenskiy said, “The Donbass issue is crucial. Today and tomorrow in Abu Dhabi, we will also discuss how the three parties perceive this issue… I spoke with our team leader Umerov this morning and evening; he will be making efforts and will keep me informed about each phase of negotiations and agreements.”
Neither President Zelenskiy nor Russian President Vladimir Putin is attending the talks in Abu Dhabi in person; both have sent large delegations instead. The Ukrainian delegation is led by Rustem Umerov, chairman of the Kiev National Security Council and a close ally of Zelenskiy. Russia has dispatched what it describes as an “all-military” group, headed by Admiral Igor Kostyukov, the chief of its intelligence service.
In the meantime, the United States has sent Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner directly from Moscow after a four-hour meeting with President Putin, according to Kremlin reports. Yuri Ushakov, a former Russian ambassador to the U.S. who was present during the Moscow meeting, described it as “completely frank and based on trust… The recent talks in the Kremlin were beneficial for both sides. We agree that Russia and the United States will keep in touch regarding Ukraine and other matters.”
Nonetheless, Ushakov emphasized Russia’s need for complete control over eastern Ukraine, including the Donbass, expressing hopes for the ongoing discussions: “Until the territorial issue is settled, a long-term solution seems unrealistic.”
According to a 2025 report from Breitbart News, Russia had previously laid out its demands for Donbas during a meeting between Putin and Trump in Alaska. At the time, Putin allegedly indicated intentions to fully occupy the region militarily, yet six months later, some areas remained unclaimed. President Zelenskiy at that point pledged never to cede the territory and criticized the meeting for occurring without his attendance.
