ABU DHABI/KIEV/MOSCOW – The second round of US-brokered talks between Russia and Ukraine started in Abu Dhabi, a member of the Ukrainian delegation said on Wednesday.
“The next stage of negotiations in Abu Dhabi has begun,” Rustem Umerov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, said in a post on social media platform Telegram.
According to Umerov, also a member of the Ukrainian delegation, the negotiation process started in a “trilateral format” involving Ukraine, the United States and Russia.
Ukraine: Talks are “substantive and productive”
The talks in the UAE were “substantive and productive,” focused on concrete steps and practical solutions, Umerov said on Telegram, adding that the Ukrainian delegation is preparing a report for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“Next, work will be carried out in separate groups … after which a repeat joint synchronization of positions is planned,” he said.
The Ukrainian official stressed that the delegation is working to “achieve a dignified and lasting peace.”
Kremlin: Russia opens to peaceful settlement
Russia remains open to a peaceful settlement of the situation in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.
Peskov said the door to a negotiated settlement remains open, but Russia will continue the special military operation until “appropriate decisions are taken by Kiev.”
The spokesman said Russia’s position on Ukraine is clear and well understood by both the authorities in Kiev and US negotiators involved in the trilateral contacts.
Delegations from Russia, Ukraine and the United States began trilateral talks on Wednesday in the UAE. The previous talks of the trilateral working group on security issues in Abu Dhabi, capital of the UAE, lasted two days, namely from Jan 23-24.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE)’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the hosting of the talks reflects its balanced relations with all three parties and the international community’s confidence in the country’s role in facilitating dialogue and creating a conducive environment for constructive negotiations.
The ministry reiterated the UAE’s commitment to backing international efforts for a comprehensive and lasting political solution, which would strengthen prospects for peace and stability at both regional and global levels.