Zelenskyy: Russia, Ukraine, and US talks in UAE were constructive

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a statement regarding the meeting held in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, with the participation of Russian, Ukrainian, and US delegations as part of diplomatic efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine War. In his assessment of the closed-door meeting, which began yesterday and concluded today, Zelenskyy said, "Our delegation submitted a report on the conclusion of the meetings in the UAE. This was the first format of its kind in a long time. Many issues were discussed, and the talks were 'constructive'."

"I attach great importance to the necessity of American oversight"

Regarding the content of the meeting, Zelenskyy stated, "The main focus of the talks was on potential parameters for ending the war. I attach great importance to the idea of the necessity of American oversight and monitoring to track the process of ending the war and to ensure genuine security. The US side raised potential formats for formalizing the parameters for ending the war and the security conditions necessary to achieve this."

"New meetings could be held next week"

The Ukrainian leader said, "As a result of the meetings held, the parties agreed to report every aspect of the negotiations to their respective capitals and to coordinate the next steps to be taken with their leaders. Military representatives determined a list of topics to be addressed for a potential next meeting. If there is a will to move forward, as Ukraine is also prepared to do, new meetings could be held as early as next week. I will receive a personal briefing from the delegation upon their return."

Participants in the meeting

Regarding the individuals who attended the meeting, Zelenskyy stated, "There were military representatives from all three sides in the negotiations. On our side, the meeting was attended by Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Rustem Umerov, Chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction David Arakhamia, Chief of the General Staff General Andrii Hnatov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Sergiy Kyslytsya, and Deputy Chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine Lieutenant General Vadym Skibitskyi. Participants from the US side included US Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, US Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll, NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) General Alexus G. Grynkewich, and Commissioner of the US Federal Acquisition Service Josh Gruenbaum. The Russian side was also represented by its own military intelligence and armed forces officials."

Zelenskyy conveyed his thanks to the UAE and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for their mediation efforts and their readiness to host additional meetings.

UAE: "The meeting took place in a constructive and positive atmosphere"

In a statement from the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it was noted that the meeting took place in a constructive and positive atmosphere, stating, "Direct contacts took place between Russian and Ukrainian representatives regarding issues that have not yet been resolved in the peace agreement proposed by the US. The meeting included confidence-building measures aimed at facilitating progress toward a comprehensive agreement."

Russian press: "It cannot be said that the meeting was fruitless"

The Russian press reported that the Russian delegation at the meeting was led by the head of the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), Igor Kostyukov. Furthermore, the Russian state news agency TASS reported that sources evaluated the meeting as "It cannot be said that it was fruitless." While TASS claimed that the trilateral talks could continue in the coming days, the US-based news site Axios also reaffirmed the possibility of a new meeting being organized between the parties next week.