The Ukrainian delegation at the negotiations in Abu Dhabi, which took place on February 4-5, 2026, with the mediation of the United States, achieved its set objectives, including the issue of the release of prisoners of war. The results of the dialogue were shared by the head of the Foreign Policy Committee of the Verkhovna Rada, Oleksandr Merezhko, who noted that Ukraine is striving to maintain the active involvement of U.S. President Donald Trump in the peace process and to neutralize provocations from Russia.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Ukrainian Position and Key Objectives
According to Oleksandr Merezhko, the main tasks of the delegation were to support the international negotiation process, particularly with the involvement of the United States, and to refute provocative accusations from Russia regarding Kyiv’s unwillingness to achieve peace. Merezhko emphasized that the Ukrainian side successfully handled these political and diplomatic challenges.
“It would have been much worse if he had completely disengaged, so to speak, from this negotiation process. Secondly, we are trying to neutralize various provocations that Putin is committing, particularly trying to accuse Ukraine of not being interested in peace. These are two political and diplomatic tasks that our delegation has managed to address,” said Oleksandr Merezhko.
Territorial Issues and Prospects for Peace Agreements
The key sticking point during the negotiations remains the territorial issue. Merezhko stressed that Russia is making unacceptable demands on Ukraine, particularly regarding the withdrawal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from the Donetsk region. In his opinion, these conditions are provocative in nature and aimed at destabilizing the situation.
At the same time, the member of parliament called for a return to the plan previously proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump. This involves an unconditional ceasefire along the entire front line and the implementation of reliable security guarantees for Ukraine. The Ukrainian side believes that this could serve as a basis for further negotiations.
During the recent negotiations, the delegations of Ukraine, the U.S., and Russia reached an agreement on the exchange of prisoners of war – this exchange was the first in the last five months. U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff described the negotiations as “constructive and focused on how to create conditions for lasting peace,” and also noted that the parties discussed the issue of a ceasefire.
It is worth noting that the trilateral negotiation format between Ukraine, the U.S., and Russia in Abu Dhabi was initiated in January 2026. The first meetings took place on January 23-24, and subsequent stages occurred on February 1, 4, and 5.
The territorial issue remains unresolved: Russia insists on the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from part of the Donetsk region that is under Ukrainian control. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during his visit to Vilnius, reaffirmed Kyiv’s unchanged position on territorial integrity and emphasized the need for all parties to be ready for compromise. According to him, bilateral security guarantees from the U.S. are already prepared, and Ukraine is awaiting their signing.
Earlier, Zelensky noted that the final decision regarding the territories should be made by the citizens of Ukraine – either through elections or via a referendum. Meanwhile, the Kremlin continues to ignore Western security guarantees for Ukraine and maintains maximalist positions in the war.