Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the preparation for the next meeting between the delegations of Ukraine, the United States, and Russia within the framework of the negotiation process. Speaking at a joint press conference with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Kyiv, Zelensky confirmed that the parties agreed to continue the dialogue following two days of negotiations in Abu Dhabi, which concluded on February 5. Details regarding the time and location of the upcoming meeting are currently not disclosed.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Negotiations in Abu Dhabi: Key Outcomes
During the negotiations in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, the parties reached an agreement on the first prisoner exchange in the last five months — a total of 314 individuals will be released from both sides. This was reported by the U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, who emphasized that this outcome was made possible through detailed and productive peace talks. According to him, discussions will continue, and additional progress is expected in this direction in the coming weeks.
Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov also confirmed that consultations were held in a trilateral format, with group work and synchronization of positions. Umerov stated that the meetings were “substantive and productive,” allowing for hope for further advancement towards a peace agreement.
Positions of the Parties and Composition of Delegations
The Ukrainian delegation included National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov, Head of the President’s Office Kyrylo Budanov, Davyd Arakhamia, Serhiy Kyslytsia, Andriy Hnatov, Vadym Skibitsky, and Oleksandr Bevz. The American delegation was represented by Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, Josh Gruenbaum, Daniel Driscoll, and General Alex Grinkevich. The Russian Federation was represented at a high military level.
Following the first day of negotiations, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted a reduction in the number of open issues between Kyiv and Moscow regarding the peace agreement, although the “most difficult” questions remain. In particular, the issue of territories remains unresolved — Russia insists on the withdrawal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from part of the Donetsk region, which it currently does not control.
“We must end this war for real – with reliable security guarantees for Ukraine. These guarantees are for the entire region. And most importantly – Russia must not receive any reward for its aggression. The war must end in such a way that Russia has no desire to start this aggression against Ukraine or against other European states again. We thank Poland for its support in this,” added Zelensky.
President Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine remains as constructive as possible during the negotiations and insists on real security guarantees not only for itself but for the entire region. Kyiv reaffirms its unwavering position regarding territories and expects to sign bilateral security guarantees with the USA, which are already “100% ready.”
The Kremlin, for its part, continues to reject Western security guarantees for Ukraine and adheres to maximalist goals in the war. Analysts note that this significantly complicates the achievement of a compromise.