President Sheikh Mohamed on Friday met heads of delegations taking part in US-brokered talks between Russia and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi, aimed at advancing continuing peace efforts.
The UAE leader spoke of his hope that the key meeting would contribute to ending the conflict, which began in February 2022.
He emphasised the UAE's consistent approach of promoting constructive dialogue and supporting all efforts aimed at achieving diplomatic solutions to crises and conflicts around the world, state news agency Wam reported.
The trilateral talks are being attended by US presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner; Igor Kostyukov, Head of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces; Kyrylo Budanov, Chief of Staff to the Ukrainian President; Rustem Umerov, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, and a number of senior officials from both Russia and Ukraine.
Sheikh Mohamed added that the UAE supports all initiatives and endeavours that seek to achieve a peaceful solution to the Ukraine crisis.
The meeting at Al Shati Palace was also attended by Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi; Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes’ Affairs; Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Special Affairs; Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad, Adviser to the UAE President; along with a number of ministers and senior officials in the UAE.
A White House official told The National that the meeting's first day had been "productive". "Conversations will continue tomorrow," the official added.
Sheikh Abdullah welcomes talks
Earlier on Friday, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, welcomed the start of the UAE-hosted summit.
Sheikh Abdullah expressed his hope that the two-day meeting would provide "tangible steps" towards ending the war, state news agency Wam reported.
He said the UAE's hosting of the trilateral talks highlighted the international community's confidence in its leading role in supporting peace efforts.
Sheikh Abdullah praised the work of US President Donald Trump in enabling the high-level gathering, where negotiators from the three countries will seek to make crucial progress in halting the deadly conflict.
The Minister set out the UAE's belief that sustainable solutions to such conflicts can only be achieved through dialogue and de-escalation.
The Emirates has mediated 17 prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine since the war broke out, resulting in the release of 4,641 detainees.
Territorial talks
Moscow has set its negotiating line as a demand that Ukraine give up the entire eastern area of Donbas before the fighting stops.
A top aide to Vladimir Putin said on Friday, after talks between the Russian President and US envoys, that there was no hope of sealing a deal to end the war until the disagreements over territory were resolved.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also said the issue of the Donbas region would be central to the engagement.
After meeting US President Donald Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Mr Zelenskyy said at a round-table event with the media that those consultations had been positive. "The question of Donbas is key," he said. "It will be discussed how the three sides ... see this in Abu Dhabi today and tomorrow."
The Abu Dhabi summit is viewed as a “notable development”, being the first trilateral meeting since the start of the war, said Karan Vassil, an analyst at intelligence company Sibylline.
Rather than a peace deal there was a “slightly higher prospect” of a moratorium on air and missile strikes on civilian and energy infrastructure.
