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UAE to host trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and US
The UAE will host trilateral talks with representatives of Russia, Ukraine, and the United States in Abu Dhabi as negotiations over conflict continue.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed expressed his hope that thes discussions would contribute to tangible steps toward ending a crisis that has persisted for nearly four years and resulted in immense humanitarian suffering.
UAE to host Russia-Ukraine discussions
Sheikh Abdullah affirmed that hosting these talks reflects the international community’s confidence in the UAE’s leading role and its steadfast approach to supporting peace and transforming challenges into meaningful opportunities for the peoples of both countries and the wider region.
He also commended the efforts of US President Donald Trump in facilitating these talks, reinforcing stability, and advancing the political track.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed added that the UAE maintains well-established partnerships with all three parties, reflecting enduring engagement and strategic cooperation, enabling the country to play a trusted role in hosting dialogue at a time when serious and responsible diplomacy is most needed.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed further noted the UAE’s firm belief that sustainable solutions to conflicts can only be achieved through dialogue and de-escalation, reaffirming the country’s commitment to building diplomatic bridges and supporting any progress achieved by these important talks, which come at a critical juncture.
Peace talks
The talks commenced on Friday, November 23 in Abu Dhabi and are scheduled to continue over two days, as part of ongoing efforts to promote dialogue and identify political solutions to the crisis.
The UAE has successfully facilitated 17 mediation efforts for prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine, resulting in the release of 4,641 detainees.
This underscores the depth of the UAE’s relations with both countries and reinforces its role as a trusted mediator in advancing diplomatic and humanitarian solutions.
Mounting pressure
Ukraine is under mounting US pressure to reach a peace deal in the war triggered by Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, with Moscow demanding Kyiv cede its entire eastern industrial area of Donbas before it stops fighting.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the territorial dispute would be a top priority of the next round of talks in the UAE.
“The question of Donbas is key. It will be discussed how the three sides…, see this in Abu Dhabi today and tomorrow,” he said, responding to questions in a WhatsApp media chat a day after talks with US President Donald Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos that both leaders described as positive.
Zelenskiy said on Thursday in Davos that the Abu Dhabi talks would be the first trilateral meetings involving Ukrainian and Russian envoys and US mediators since the war began.
Security guarantees
Last year Russia and Ukrainian delegations had their first face-to-face meeting since 2022 when they met in Istanbul. A top Ukrainian military intelligence officer also had talks with US and Russian delegations in Abu Dhabi in November.
Zelenskiy also told reporters that a deal on US security guarantees for Kyiv was ready, and that he was only waiting on Trump for a specific date and place to sign it.
Ukraine has sought robust security guarantees from Western allies in the event of a peace deal to prevent Russia, which has shown little interest in ending the war, from invading again.
For its part, Russia has floated the idea of using the bulk of nearly $5bn of Russian assets frozen in the United States to fund a recovery of Russian-occupied territory inside Ukraine.
Ukraine, backed by European allies, demands that Russia pay it reparations.
