Talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations, mediated by the United States, began on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi. Negotiators are seeking to revive diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
The talks are taking place in the presence of US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and are the first in nine months, Agerpres reports. The meeting was preceded by consultations between the Ukrainian delegation and European officials, and discussions will focus on security guarantees for Ukraine and Russia once the conflict ends.
The Russian delegation at these talks is led by Vladimir Medinsky, an adviser to President Vladimir Putin, who also took part in two other trilateral meetings held in 2025. The delegation also includes Deputy Foreign Ministers Sergei Ryabkov and Mikhail Galuzin, military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov, who led the Russian delegation at the round of talks held in Istanbul in January, and his deputy, Yuri Zhigarlovsky.
The Ukrainian delegation in Abu Dhabi is led by Rustem Umerov, now head of Ukraine’s foreign intelligence service, accompanied by General Kyrylo Budanov, chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and former head of military intelligence. Kyiv has not officially announced the full lineup, but the delegation reportedly also includes David Arakhamia, leader of the parliamentary faction of Zelenskyy’s Servant of the People party, and Serhii Kyslytsia, an adviser to the president.
Shortly before the start of talks with the Russian delegation, the Ukrainian delegation met with representatives of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, NATO and the European Commission, Rustem Umerov announced on his Telegram account.
The European countries mentioned above are represented by their national security advisers. Russia has ruled out direct participation by Ukraine’s European allies in the talks, so they are expected to hold only separate meetings with Ukrainian and US officials in Abu Dhabi.