Russia, Ukraine and the US have begun trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi, Ukrainian state media and the Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported on Tuesday.
Security guarantees are expected to be central to the two-day discussions – the first since February – alongside de-escalation, humanitarian measures and prospects for a wider settlement.
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who is also President Donald Trump's son-in-law, are leading the American delegation. Officials said they would meet representatives from Ukraine, the European Union, Nato, Germany, France, Britain and Italy before the talks.
“We expect to cover security guarantees and then also, with regard to long-term security architecture between Russia and Europe, how to reduce future conflicts,” a US official said. “I do believe that now we're in a position where there is a shot at trying to make, you know, serious progress to end the war.
“Our proposal is to bring the Europeans into the discussion after this trilateral and to try to run on parallel tracks so that they can both help solve the other.”
Despite the official's optimism, the prospect of a breakthrough remains uncertain. Moscow and Kyiv continue to attack each other's energy sites, while Russia is demanding major territorial concessions from Ukraine. Kyiv, meanwhile, insists on strong guarantees against future Russian aggression and has ruled out surrendering any territory.
The talks come after Mr Trump's Republican Party suffered a bruising defeat in the US midterm elections.
Delegations from Russia and Ukraine have held at least two rounds of US-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi. The two countries have exchanged hundreds of prisoners since the start of the war following UAE mediation.
