Ukraine and Russia ended a second day of US-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi on Saturday without a deal but with more talks expected next weekend, even as overnight Russian air strikes knocked out power for over a million Ukrainians amid sub-zero winter cold.
Statements after the conclusion of the talks did not indicate that any agreements had been reached, but Moscow and Kyiv both said they were open to further dialogue.
“The central focus of the discussions was the possible parameters for ending the war,” President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on social media after the meeting.
More discussions were expected next Sunday in Abu Dhabi, said a US official who spoke to reporters immediately after the talks.
“We saw a lot of respect in the room between the parties because they were really looking to find solutions,” said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity. “We got to real granular detail and [we feel] that next Sunday will be, God willing, another meeting where we push this deal towards its final culmination.”
Jared Kushner (centre) speaks as he sits beside US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff (second from left) during talks between the US, Russia and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. Photo: UAE government via Reuters
A UAE government spokesperson said there was face-to-face engagement between Ukraine and Russia – rare in the almost four-year-old war triggered by a full-scale Russian invasion – and negotiators tackled “outstanding elements” of Washington’s peace framework.