Zelenskyy Calls U.S.–Russia–Ukraine Abu Dhabi Talks 'Constructive,' Signals Possible Follow‑Up Meeting
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said two days of U.S.‑brokered trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi with U.S., Russian and Ukrainian delegations were "constructive," with parties agreeing to report back to capitals and military representatives identifying issues for a possible follow‑up meeting as soon as next week. The sessions — hosted by UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and preceded by four‑hour Kremlin talks between Trump envoys and Vladimir Putin — advanced discussion of U.S. peace‑framework elements but left the core sticking point unresolved: Moscow’s demand for territorial concessions in the Donbas amid ongoing Russian drone and missile strikes.
📌 Key Facts
- UAE-hosted, two-day trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi between the U.S., Russia and Ukraine were described by Ukrainian officials and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as "constructive" and "positive;" parties agreed to report to their capitals and military representatives flagged issues for a possible follow-up meeting as soon as next week.
- Before Abu Dhabi, U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner and Josh Gruenbaum met President Vladimir Putin in Moscow for roughly four hours; the Kremlin called those talks "substantive, constructive and frank," and Witkoff said negotiations were "down to one issue" after "lots of progress."
- The central unresolved issue is the territorial status of Russian‑occupied eastern Ukraine (Donbas): Kremlin officials and Putin’s side say a long‑term settlement requires Kyiv to cede parts of Donbas (including reported demands to surrender remaining areas of Donetsk), while Zelenskyy has repeatedly said "it’s all about the land" and noted territorial concessions previously derailed a deal.
- Delegations included senior political and military figures: the U.S. team listed Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, Josh Gruenbaum, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and EUCOM commander Gen. Alexus Grynkewich; Ukraine’s team included Rustem Umerov, Kyrylo Budanov, Serhii Kyslytsia, Andrii Hnatov and Davyd Arakhamia; Russia’s side included Kirill Dmitriev and GRU chief Adm. Igor Kostyukov (with military representatives in attendance).
- Zelenskyy said a core security‑guarantee framework is ready, that the U.K. and France could place forces on the ground to monitor a ceasefire, and emphasized the need for an American monitoring/backstop reportedly contingent on U.S. (and specifically Trump-era) decisions; he also reiterated a proposal for a Ukraine‑controlled free trade zone in the east.
- The diplomatic engagements unfolded amid continued large Russian drone and missile strikes — with reporting of major attacks during and after the talks that caused civilian casualties and damage — and Ukrainian officials accused Moscow of ordering "brutal" strikes while negotiations were underway.
- Reports conflict about a Davos encounter between Trump and Zelenskyy: some outlets say Trump met Zelenskyy in Davos and tied those talks to the Moscow track, while a Ukrainian official told MS NOW Zelenskyy would remain in Kyiv and not travel to Davos.
- Talks addressed "outstanding elements" of a U.S. peace framework and confidence‑building measures and touched on other items (reports note discussions also mentioned Greenland and Trump’s proposed "Board of Peace"); a planned $800 billion postwar reconstruction announcement faced complications amid European opposition tied to other Trump proposals.
📰 Source Timeline (11)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
January 25, 2026
1:00 PM
Zelenskyy touts ‘constructive’ trilateral talks between the US, Russia and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi
New information:
- Confirms the Abu Dhabi talks were hosted by the United Arab Emirates over two days and involved both political and military representatives from all three sides.
- Details that the U.S. side in the preceding Moscow meeting with Putin included U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner and Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner Josh Gruenbaum.
- Quotes Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov saying a lasting settlement is unlikely without addressing territorial issues 'based on the formula as agreed in Anchorage,' with pressure on Ukraine to cede additional parts of Donbas.
- Adds Zelenskyy’s figure that Russian forces launched more than 1,700 attack drones, over 1,380 guided aerial bombs and 69 missiles in the past week, underscoring intensified strikes during the diplomacy.
- Notes the European Commission is deploying 447 emergency generators to Ukraine to restore power for hospitals, shelters and critical services amid sub‑freezing outages.
January 24, 2026
3:57 PM
Peace talks end constructively, Ukraine's Zelenskyy says, with more possible
New information:
- Zelenskyy publicly stated that two days of trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi ended with 'constructive' discussions on 'possible parameters for ending the war.'
- He said all parties agreed to report back to their capitals on each aspect of the negotiations and coordinate next steps, and that military representatives identified issues for a possible next meeting as soon as next week.
- Zelenskyy emphasized there is 'an understanding of the need for American monitoring and control of the process of ending the war and ensuring real security.'
- CBS specifies the Ukrainian delegation included chief negotiator Rustem Umerov and military intelligence head Kyrylo Budanov, and confirms Russian participation through military intelligence and army representatives.
- The article details fresh Russian drone and missile attacks during and after the talks: at least one person killed and four wounded in Kyiv, and 27 wounded in Kharkiv, with Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accusing Putin of ordering a 'brutal massive missile strike' while delegations met.
- The piece reiterates that Putin, in overnight talks with Witkoff and Kushner just before Abu Dhabi, insisted any deal requires Kyiv to withdraw from Russia‑annexed eastern territories Moscow has not fully captured.
3:32 PM
Ukrainian officials call talks with U.S. and Russia "positive" and "constructive"
New information:
- Ukrainian officials describe the Abu Dhabi trilateral talks as 'positive' and 'constructive' and say they included direct Russia–Ukraine engagement without U.S. mediators in the room at times.
- The article lists the full U.S. delegation — Trump advisers Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, Josh Gruenbaum, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and EUCOM commander Gen. Alexus Grynkewich — and the Ukrainian team, including Kyrylo Budanov, Rustem Umerov, Gen. Andrii Hnatov, Sergiy Kyslytsya and Davyd Arakhamia.
- UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed personally hosted the talks, and a UAE government spokesperson said discussions addressed 'outstanding elements of the U.S.-proposed peace framework' and confidence‑building measures.
- Zelensky, after a report from his team, said the focus was on 'possible parameters for ending the war,' thanked the U.S. for being willing to monitor and oversee any end‑of‑war process, and signaled Ukraine is ready for follow‑on meetings in Abu Dhabi as early as next week.
- The talks coincided with a massive new Russian strike in which Zelensky said 370 attack drones and 21 missiles of various types were launched against Kyiv and other cities.
January 23, 2026
8:25 PM
Russia, Ukraine to discuss territory as Trump says both sides 'want to make a deal'
New information:
- Confirms that the U.S., Russia and Ukraine are now actually meeting in Abu Dhabi in the first trilateral talks since 2022, not just preparing for them.
- Quotes Zelenskyy via WhatsApp saying "The question of Donbas is key" and that Donbas will be discussed by all three sides in Abu Dhabi today and tomorrow, with talks expected to continue Saturday.
- Reports that, according to Reuters as cited here, Putin is demanding Ukraine surrender the 20% of Donetsk region it still holds in Donbas.
- Adds Trump’s Air Force One comments that there were periods when either Putin or Zelenskyy "didn't want to make a deal" but that he now believes "they both want to make a deal," while declining to commit to a three‑way leaders’ meeting.
5:36 PM
Ukraine, Russia and U.S. to discuss fraught issue of territorial concessions
New information:
- Zelenskyy says the status of the eastern Donbas region will be a key focus of Friday’s three‑way talks in Abu Dhabi between Ukraine, Russia and the U.S.
- Zelenskyy publicly reiterates to Trump in Davos his proposal for a Ukraine‑controlled free trade zone in the east, saying he believes it would be 'positive for our business.'
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirms the Russian delegation to Abu Dhabi will be headed by Adm. Kostyukov and could extend talks into Saturday if necessary.
- Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov, after a four‑hour overnight Moscow meeting with Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, states that a long‑term settlement 'can’t be expected without solving the territorial issue' and calls the talks 'frank, constructive' and 'fruitful.'
- Josh Gruenbaum, head of the Federal Acquisition Service and a senior adviser on Trump’s 'Board of Peace', is identified as accompanying Trump’s envoys and as part of the economic‑issues channel with Putin’s envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
2:05 PM
Russia not backing down from demand for Ukraine to abandon territory
New information:
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov publicly reiterated that Russia’s precondition for a peace agreement is that Ukrainian forces withdraw from the Donbas, calling this 'a very important condition' on the very day trilateral talks open in Abu Dhabi.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that the only unresolved issue in the negotiations is the status of the Russian‑occupied eastern territories, saying 'it’s all about the land' in the Donbas.
- CBS specifies that this same territorial disagreement already derailed a potential peace deal late last year, underscoring it as a recurring sticking point.
- Zelenskyy says the U.K. and France are prepared to put forces on the ground to monitor a ceasefire, but insists any security framework must include a U.S. 'backstop' from President Trump, and claims 'the main, core agreement on security guarantees is ready' pending Trump’s final decision.
- The article notes that Russia continues to make small but incremental advances in Donbas and reiterates Putin’s threats to seize full control of the region if talks fail.
7:07 AM
Trump's envoys meet Putin for four hours on Ukraine
New information:
- Confirms that Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner and White House official Josh Gruenbaum met Putin inside the Kremlin for four hours on Thursday night.
- Specifies that Putin adviser Yuri Ushakov publicly described the talks as 'substantive, constructive and very frank' and said they briefed Putin on Trump’s earlier meeting with Zelensky.
- States that Putin’s side is insisting there is 'no prospect of long term settlement' without Ukraine ceding the entire Donbas region on terms Trump and Putin allegedly agreed at their August summit.
- Details the Abu Dhabi trilateral lineup: on the Ukrainian side Rustem Umerov, Kyrylo Budanov, Serhii Kyslytsia and Andrii Hnatov; on the Russian side Kirill Dmitriev plus a team led by GRU chief Admiral Igor Kostyukov; Army Secretary Dan Driscoll will also attend for the U.S.
- Notes that the Kremlin talks also covered Greenland and Trump’s Board of Peace, beyond Ukraine.
January 22, 2026
11:37 PM
Witkoff says Russia-Ukraine negotiations are "down to one issue"
New information:
- CBS report shows Steve Witkoff on camera saying Russia–Ukraine negotiations are 'down to one issue,' though he declined to specify what that sticking point is.
- The piece confirms that President Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Davos on Thursday, just before Trump’s departure, to discuss efforts to end the war.
- It situates Witkoff’s remark explicitly as coming immediately after Trump wrapped up his World Economic Forum trip, reinforcing that this is the current state of play in the U.S.-brokered talks.
January 21, 2026
8:32 PM
Zelenskyy won’t travel to Davos to meet with Trump, official says
New information:
- Trump, speaking at Davos on Jan. 21, said Zelenskyy and Putin would be 'stupid' if they do not soon reach a Ukraine peace agreement, while insisting he believes they are 'not stupid.'
- A Ukrainian official says Zelenskyy will remain in Kyiv and will not travel to Davos for a meeting with Trump, despite Trump claiming he would meet Zelenskyy 'later today' and then 'Thursday.'
- Ukrainian officials had expected a Davos meeting to sign two documents: one on security guarantees for Ukraine within a peace deal and another detailing an $800 billion postwar 'prosperity plan' for reconstruction.
- The planned announcement of the $800 billion reconstruction package in Davos has reportedly been derailed by European opposition to Trump’s threats to acquire Greenland and to his proposed Gaza 'Board of Peace.'
- Trump told reporters 'we’re reasonably close to a deal' to end the war and complained that at times Zelenskyy has refused U.S.–Russia frameworks and at other times Putin has balked, calling it 'a very difficult balance.'
5:18 PM
Witkoff and Kushner scheduled to meet Putin in Moscow
New information:
- Confirms on‑the‑record that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are scheduled to meet Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday to discuss a Russia–Ukraine peace deal.
- Witkoff tells CNBC there has been 'lots of progress' in the last six to eight weeks and says he has a 'sense that everybody wants a peace there, that it’s time.'
- Trump, speaking at Davos, says 'I think Russia wants to make a deal, I think Ukraine wants to make a deal. I think I can say we are relatively close.'
- Article reiterates that 'land deals' remain on the table, signaling territorial concessions are being discussed despite Zelenskyy’s past public opposition.
- Confirms reports (via Axios) that Zelenskyy is expected to meet Trump in Davos on Thursday, tying the Moscow and Davos tracks together.