Talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States ended in Abu Dhabi – source
Photo of the first day of negotiations on January 23, 2026 (Photo: UAE Presidential Court / EPA)

Trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States have concluded in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. This information LIGA.net confirmed a source familiar with the negotiations.

According to him, the meeting lasted about four hours. The talks began on January 23 and were scheduled to last two days.

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Axios media correspondent Barak Ravid, citing unnamed Ukrainian officials, writes that the talks were "positive" and "constructive". According to him, the next round of talks will also be held in Abu Dhabi next week (between January 26 – February 1 – Ed.).

UPDATE at 16:40. Zelenskyy positively assessed two-day talks in Abu Dhabi, and announced that the next meetings could take place next week.

In the evening of January 23, the head of the Ukrainian delegation and the secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov reported that the first trilateral meeting was devoted to the parameters of the end of the Russian war and the "further logic of the negotiation process" to move towards a "decent and lasting peace."

Umerov, and also president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, announced that on January 24, the chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was to join the talks Andriy Hnatov and representative of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (HUR) lieutenant general Vadym Skibitskyi.

The Russian delegation at the meetings in Abu Dhabi was headed by Admiral Igor Kostyukov, the head of the occupiers' military intelligence, the Main Directorate of the Russian General Staff. Previously, his agency was called the Main Intelligence Directorate – GRU. During the previous Istanbul meetings, Russia's chief negotiator was Vladimir Medynsky, advisor to the dictator Vladimir Putin.

  • On January 22, US president Trump's special envoy, Witkoff, said that the peace plan was reduced to one question, but he did not specify which one.
  • The next day, Zelenskyy said that Donbas is a key issue, and will be discussed during the talks in the UAE.
  • In the evening, the head of state noted regarding the content of the talks that "it is too early to draw conclusions today", and it is necessary to look at the course and results of the January 24th dialog.