Ukraine, Russia, US hold Abu Dhabi talks as territory emerges key issue
Zelenskyy says territory will dominate talks, stressing Russia must show real readiness to end the war it began
Ukrainian and Russian negotiators held talks in the United Arab Emirates on Friday, with the future of contested territory emerging as the central and most sensitive issue, as the United States intensifies efforts to broker an agreement to end the nearly four-year-long war.
The discussions took place in Abu Dhabi and marked the first direct public negotiations between representatives of Moscow and Kyiv linked to a peace framework being promoted by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration. The talks are scheduled to continue over two days, reflecting cautious but growing diplomatic momentum around the conflict.
In a statement, the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the start of the discussions, describing them as part of broader efforts to encourage dialogue and explore political solutions. crisis,” the ministry said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made it clear that territorial issues would dominate the negotiations, while also underlining that peace would only be possible if Russia showed genuine intent to end the war.
Writing on Telegram, Zelenskyy said he remained in constant contact with Ukraine’s negotiating team but cautioned against drawing early conclusions. “I am in regular contact with our delegation,” he said, adding that it was too soon to assess progress. “We’ll see how the conversation goes tomorrow and what the outcome will be.”
The talks in Abu Dhabi come at a critical diplomatic moment. Just a day earlier, Zelenskyy met President Trump on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where ending the war in Ukraine featured prominently in discussions. The meeting underscored Washington’s growing push to translate diplomatic engagement into tangible progress on the ground.
The negotiations also followed closely on the heels of late-night talks in Moscow between U.S. According to officials, that meeting lasted nearly four hours, signaling the seriousness of Washington’s engagement with the Kremlin.
However, despite the lengthy discussions, major differences remain. Reporting from Moscow, Al Jazeera correspondent Yulia Shapovalova said the talks between Putin and Witkoff failed to bridge key gaps, particularly on territorial claims and long-term security guarantees. These issues have consistently stalled previous diplomatic efforts and remain deeply contentious.
For Ukraine, territorial integrity is a red line. Kyiv has repeatedly stated that any settlement must respect internationally recognised borders and that concessions would reward aggression. Russia, meanwhile, has insisted on recognition of territories it currently occupies, framing them as non-negotiable realities on the ground.
The choice of Abu Dhabi as the venue reflects the UAE’s growing role as a neutral diplomatic intermediary in global conflicts. Emirati officials have positioned the country as a space where rival powers can engage quietly, away from traditional geopolitical pressure points.
While expectations for a breakthrough remain cautious, the fact that talks are taking place at all is being viewed by observers as a notable development. After years of battlefield escalation, diplomatic contacts have often been indirect, sporadic, or stalled entirely.
Analysts say the coming days will be crucial in determining whether the Abu Dhabi talks can move beyond symbolic engagement toward concrete steps. Even limited agreements on confidence-building measures could help lower tensions and open the door to broader negotiations.
For now, both sides are maintaining guarded optimism. As Zelenskyy indicated, the true measure of progress will depend on whether Russia signals a real willingness to end the conflict. Until then, territory remains the core obstacle—and the defining test—of any path toward peace.