News Desk (MNN); The first day of tripartite talks involving officials from Ukraine, Russia and the United States concluded in Abu Dhabi, with negotiators describing the discussions as preliminary and focused on laying the groundwork for future negotiations.
Ukraine’s chief negotiator, Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, said the meeting centred on “the parameters for ending Russia’s war and the further logic of the negotiation process aimed at advancing toward a dignified and lasting peace.” He added that additional meetings were scheduled for Saturday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy cautioned against drawing early conclusions, saying it was “too soon” to assess the substance of the talks. He said Kyiv expected clear responses from Moscow and stressed that Russia must demonstrate readiness to end the conflict it started. Zelenskyy said he was receiving regular updates from Ukraine’s negotiating team.
The talks took place amid intensified Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Russian glide bomb strikes on the town of Komyshuvakha in Ukraine’s Zaporizhia region killed one person and wounded four others, according to regional governor Ivan Fedorov. Ukraine’s military said it retaliated by striking a Russian oil depot in the Penza region.
European Union officials said emergency generators were being sent to Ukraine after Russian bombardments left nearly one million people without electricity and heating. France announced plans to convene an international call to mobilise assistance for Ukrainians facing extreme winter conditions.
A major obstacle in the negotiations remains President Vladimir Putin’s demand that Ukraine relinquish the remaining 20 percent of the Donetsk region still under Kyiv’s control. Zelenskyy has firmly rejected any territorial concessions, while opinion polls show little public support in Ukraine for surrendering land.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated that Russia’s demand for full control of the Donbas region was a key condition. A Kremlin-linked source told Reuters that Moscow favours an “Anchorage formula,” allegedly discussed by Presidents Trump and Putin last year, which would freeze current front lines while handing Russia control of Donbas.
NATO’s top military commander, US Air Force General Alexus Grynkewich, is participating in the talks as part of President Trump’s delegation, alongside other senior US officials.
