The inaugural trilateral peace negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine, and the United States have concluded in Abu Dhabi without a discernible breakthrough, amidst ongoing hostilities.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has suggested the possibility of a subsequent meeting as early as next week, while a U.S. official indicated that a new round of discussions is slated to commence on February 1.
The two-day talks concluded in the wake of a series of Russian aerial assaults targeting Ukraine’s severely damaged energy infrastructure, resulting in one fatality and 35 injuries, according to Ukrainian authorities.
Russia has accused Ukraine of attacking an ambulance within Ukrainian territory under its control, resulting in the deaths of three medical personnel. Subsequently, Russia reported a Ukrainian missile strike on energy infrastructure in Belgorod.
The BBC has been unable to independently verify these reports.
The Abu Dhabi discussions represent the first trilateral meeting since the Kremlin initiated its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
“The primary focus of these discussions centered on potential parameters for ending the war,” Zelensky stated on X.
“I deeply value the recognition of the need for American monitoring and oversight in the process of ending the war and ensuring genuine security.”
All parties have agreed to “report back to their respective capitals” and coordinate further actions with their leaders, he added.
“We have agreed that the next round will begin next Sunday in Abu Dhabi once again,” an unnamed U.S. official informed reporters.
The decision to hold further talks was described as “a positive sign,” and the official noted that “a significant amount of work” had been accomplished during the two days of negotiations.
The Russian state news agency Ria-Novosti reported that Moscow remains receptive to a continuation of dialogue with Ukraine and the United States.
Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv, reported that one person had died and four were wounded in Russian air strikes on Friday night, while the mayor of Kharkiv reported 31 injuries in that city.
Klitschko stated that Kyiv’s critical infrastructure had sustained damage, leaving 6,000 buildings without heating.
Temperatures in parts of Ukraine have plummeted to approximately -12C. Zelensky stated that “the primary target of the Russians” has been the energy infrastructure.
In Kharkiv, Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported damage to a maternity hospital and a hostel for displaced persons.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated that the “brutal” Russian attack, “cynically” ordered by President Vladimir Putin, had “struck not only our people, but also the negotiation table.”
He asserted that the “barbaric” overnight assault proved “that Putin’s place is not at the board of peace, but at the dock of the special tribunal.”
Meanwhile, Russia has accused Ukraine of committing a “barbaric crime against the civilian population” of the Kherson region, which is partially under Russian control.
Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated that a clearly marked ambulance carrying a medical team from the Oleshky central district hospital had been attacked by a Ukrainian drone at the entrance to the village of Hola Prystan.
She said all three medics inside were killed. “We emphasize that attacks on civilian medical transport are prohibited by international humanitarian law,” she added.
On Saturday evening, the governor of Belgorod, Vyacheslav Gladkov, reported that Ukraine had launched its most significant bombardment yet on the city, which is located across the border from Kharkiv.
Gladkov said that energy infrastructure was damaged, but there were no casualties.
U.S. President Donald Trump stated last week that Putin had accepted an invitation to join his Board of Peace, an organization focused on ending global conflicts. Putin has not confirmed this.
Russia occupies approximately 20% of Ukraine, including parts of the eastern Donbas region. The Kremlin seeks the cession of large areas of territory by Ukraine, a demand that Ukraine has rejected.
In Davos, Zelensky stated: “It’s all about the land. This is the issue which is not solved yet.”
He stated that he had reached an agreement with Trump on future US security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a deal.
He gave no detail but said it would need to go before US Congress and the Ukrainian parliament before signing.
The day before the talks in Abu Dhabi began, US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner met Putin in Moscow.
After the four-hour meeting, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said: “Vladimir Putin has emphasised Russia’s sincere commitment to settling the Ukraine crisis by political and diplomatic means.”
But he said “bringing about a lasting settlement would be unlikely without addressing the territorial issue based on the formula as agreed in Anchorage”.
Last August, Trump and Putin met in Anchorage, Alaska to discuss ending the war, resulting in an agreement to allow Russia to take the Donbas region and keep control of the Crimean peninsula, which it annexed in 2014.
Zelensky ruled out giving up the Donbas which is made up of Luhansk and Donetsk and is mostly occupied by Russia.
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