Talks on the second day of the trilateral meeting between Russia, Ukraine and the US ended Abu Dhabi on Saturday afternoon.
They had resumed a day after the heads of delegations from the three countries, including US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, arrived in the UAE capital on Friday, were received by President Sheikh Mohamed and held a first round of discussions.
Further details of the conclusion of the talks were expected to be released later on Saturday but they included "direct engagement" between Russian and Ukrainian officials in a "constructive and positive atmosphere" and were said to have focused on the "outstanding elements" of the US-proposed peace framework.
In their initial reactions to the meeting, the Russian Foreign Ministry and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy both held out the prospect of further talks.
In a post of X, Mr Zelenskyy thanked the UAE for hosting the talks and said that "a lot was discussed, and it is important that the conversations were constructive".
The central focus, he said, "was the possible parameters for ending the war", adding that if all sides agree, a further round of talks could follow within a week.
On Friday, President Mohamed spoke of his hope that the meeting would contribute to ending the conflict, which began in February 2022.
He stressed the UAE's consistent approach of promoting constructive dialogue and supporting all efforts aimed at finding a diplomatic solution to crises and conflicts worldwide, state news agency Wam reported.
A White House official told The National that the meeting's first day had been “productive”.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, also welcomed the UAE-hosted summit. Sheikh Abdullah said on Friday that he hoped the two-day meeting would provide “tangible steps” towards bringing the war to an end, state news agency Wam reported.
The UAE's hosting of the trilateral talks highlighted the international community's confidence in its leading role in supporting peace efforts, he added.
UAE President receives delegation for trilateral talks - in pictures
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President Sheikh Mohamed receives the heads of delegations taking part in the UAE-hosted trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and the US at Al Shati Palace. Delegates include Jared Kushner, left, Igor Kostyukov, Chief of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, second left, and Rustem Umerov, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, right. All images: UAE Presidential Court -
Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, and Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed, Chairman of the Office of Development and Martyrs Families Affairs at the Presidential Court, attend the Al Shati meeting with Steve Witkoff, US special envoy, and Kirill Budanov, Director of the Office of the President of Ukraine -
President Sheikh Mohamed receives the heads of delegations participating in the UAE-hosted trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and the US at Al Shati Palace. Delegates include Kirill Budanov, Director of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Steve Witkoff, US special envoy, Rustem Umerov, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, Igor Kostyukov, Chief of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces and Jared Kushner -
Rustem Umerov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, left, and Steve Witkoff, US Special Envoy, at Al Shati Palace -
President Sheikh Mohamed receives the heads of delegations participating in the UAE-hosted trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and the US at Al Shati Palace. Delegates include Jared Kushner, Igor Kostyukov, Chief of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Rustem Umerov, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, and Steve Witkoff, US special envoy -
Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, and Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed, Chairman of the Office of Development and Martyrs Families Affairs at the Presidential Court, attend the Al Shati meeting. Also present were Kirill Budanov, Director of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Steve Witkoff, US Special Envoy, and Rustem Umerov, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine
Sheikh Abdullah also praised the work of US President Donald Trump in enabling the high-level talks, where negotiators from the three countries sought ways to make progress in halting the conflict.
Crucial talks
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine said late on Friday that it was too early to draw conclusions on the first day of the talks. Mr Zelenskyy said senior representatives from Ukraine's armed forces and military intelligence would be joining the talks on Saturday, according to Reuters.
The Ukrainian President described the talks as “important, as such trilateral meeting formats haven’t happened for a long time".
“They are discussing the parameters for ending the war. By now, they should already have at least some answers from Russia – the key is that Russia must be ready to end this war, the one it itself started. Ukraine’s positions are clear.”
He said the territorial dispute was a central issue for the talks in the UAE.
On Friday, discussions included ways to end the war and the “further logic of the negotiation process”, according to Rustem Umerov, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine.
The UAE has mediated 17 prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine since the war broke out, resulting in the release of 4,641 people.
Russia has remained resolute in its demand for Ukraine to give up its entire eastern area of Donbas.
A senior aide of Vladimir Putin's said on Friday, after talks between the Russian President and US envoys, there was no hope of ending the war until a resolution to the disagreements over territory is found.
