US officials on Saturday hailed talks in Abu Dhabi as resulting in “substantial progress” between Russia and Ukraine.
Such was the success of the two-day trilateral talks in the UAE capital that they agreed to meet again in just over a week, they said.
"We've had a historic couple of days in Abu Dhabi," said one US official.
The talks, which covered aspects of a framework intended to move the sides towards a ceasefire, concluded a day after the heads of delegations from the three countries, including US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, arrived in the UAE capital on Friday.
They were received by President Sheikh Mohamed and held a first round of discussions.
A White House official told The National late on Friday that the meeting's first day had been “productive”. That positivity appeared to have carried into Saturday's discussions, which were held directly between the delegations.
"There has been a lot of positivity from both the Ukrainian and Russian sides," one US official said.
Another US official said the Abu Dhabi talks were "a critical step towards getting to the next stage".
"We believe progress is being made. We spoke about different ways to de-escalate," the official said.
"It was great seeing both sides interacting with each other; the conversations were very respectful. It gave both parties the opportunity to express some of their opinions and concerns, and the conversations were very fluid."
While military and "prosperity" negotiations were conducted between the respective sides in different rooms, all came together for lunch on Saturday.
"The entire group had lunch together. We had four Russian generals in the room, including the head of military intelligence. The mood in the room surpassed our expectations," said a US official.
The three parties will meet again on February 1, a US official said.
"We saw a lot of respect in the room between the parties because they were really looking to find solutions. We got to real granular detail and that next Sunday will be, God willing, another meeting where we push this deal towards its final culmination," he said.
Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to President Sheikh Mohamed, said on X: "The humanitarian and political role played by the UAE in seeking a solution to the war in Ukraine enjoys clear international appreciation."
In a statement shared with The National, a UAE government representative said that the "unprecedented trilateral discussions" took place "as part of ongoing efforts to advance a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine".
"The discussions were conducted in a constructive and positive atmosphere and included direct engagement between Russian and Ukrainian representatives on outstanding elements of the peace framework proposed by the United States, as well as confidence-building measures aimed at supporting progress toward a comprehensive agreement," the representative said.
"In this context, the UAE commended the efforts of US President Donald Trump in facilitating these talks, reinforcing stability, and advancing the political track toward peace.
"The UAE’s hosting of these discussions reflects its consistent approach of promoting dialogue and de-escalation, building on its prior role in hosting multiple rounds of Russia-Ukraine negotiations that resulted in approximately 17 successful prisoner-of-war exchange operations.
"The UAE approaches diplomacy with a clear conviction: conflicts cannot be resolved without dialogue, and progress is built through sustained engagement. The UAE will continue to support all efforts that advance peace across all crises."
In their initial reactions to the meeting, the Russian Foreign Ministry and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy were receptive to 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 would follow within a week.
On Friday, President Sheikh 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.
The UAE has mediated 17 prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine since the war broke out, resulting in the release of 4,641 detainees.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, also welcomed the summit. He 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 by US President Donald Trump in enabling the high-level talks.
Crucial talks
Mr Zelenskyy had said on Friday that it was too early to draw conclusions on the first day of the talks. He said the territorial dispute was a central issue for the talks in the UAE.
Russia has maintained 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.
