On Wednesday, February 4th, the first day of trilateral talks between Russia, the US, and Ukraine, dedicated to ending Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine, concluded in Abu Dhabi. It was reported that the consultations will continue on February 5.
Due to the fact that the negotiations are being held in a closed format, not all details are being disclosed to the public. Nevertheless, an unnamed Ukrainian official interviewed by Axios assessed the discussions as productive and meaningful.
The composition of the delegations is also noteworthy. From the Russian side, the delegation is headed by Admiral Igor Kostyukov, Head of the General Staff Directorate. MXMK Secretary Rustem Umerov is participating as the head of the Ukrainian delegation. On the US side, the US Special Representative Steve Whitkoff, Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, and US Secretary of Defense Daniel Driscoll are reportedly at the negotiating table.
The main "node" of the discussions remains the territorial issue. Politico, citing Ukrainian and American officials, reported that the issue of territories is at the center of the negotiations.
It is noteworthy that representatives of Moscow and Kyiv held their first direct dialogue in Abu Dhabi on January 23 and 24 regarding the US-invited plan to end Russia's war against Ukraine. According to sources close to the negotiations, the parties have come to some agreement on some points, but have not reached a compromise on the territories.
According to the results of the first round, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that the only unresolved issue is the Donbas. Russia demands the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donbas, and Kyiv rejects this demand.
For information, Donbas is part of Ukrainian territory, but some of its areas are currently under the control of Russian troops. Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the issue of territories could only be resolved during a personal meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In short, the negotiations in Abu Dhabi are seen not as the "end point," but as a new stage of a major political process. Although the first day was assessed as "effective," the main challenge lies ahead: how close the parties can get on the issue of territories - this is now the biggest intrigue.
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