The trilateral meeting between Ukraine, the United States, and Russia concluded on January 24 without a final agreement. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the discussions as “constructive.” The meeting lasted two days.
Outcomes of the Meeting and Announcement of the Next Stage
As planned, the delegations discussed the parameters for ending Russia’s war against Ukraine. President Zelenskyy emphasized that an important element of the negotiations was a shared understanding of the need for US monitoring. The parties also emphasized the need to control the implementation of any agreements and ensure real security.
“Provided there is readiness to move forward – and Ukraine is ready – further meetings will take place, potentially as early as next week,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
The next round of talks will to take place in Abu Dhabi on February 1. The negotiating parties agreed to report the results of the meeting to their respective capitals and coordinate next steps with their leaders. According to the President of Ukraine, military officials have already identified a list of issues to be discussed at the next meeting.
Comments from the US Side
According to statements from US officials, parties have discussed all planned issues during the two days of the trilateral meeting. These included Russia’s territorial claims regarding the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as the situation surrounding the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. The parties also discussed what steps Russia and Ukraine must take to clearly define that the war has ended definitively.
US President’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff also described the talks as “constructive.” “President Trump and his entire team are dedicated to bringing peace to this war,” he wrote on the social media platform X. One US official noted that there was a sense of mutual respect between the negotiating parties. He also observed that they were looking for a solution.
An anonymous US official said that a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy is now closer than before. He suggested that the next meeting in Abu Dhabi could be more productive. According to his words, Zelenskyy and Putin could even meet in Kyiv or Moscow. According to him, if the current momentum continues, the negotiations may soon reach that stage.
Ukraine-Russia Talks Without US Participation
The US outlet Axios reported that, in addition to the trilateral meeting, Ukraine and Russia also held direct talks in Abu Dhabi on Saturday without US participation. A Ukrainian official stated that despite some progress, Russia is still not demonstrating readiness to end the war. The outlet Ukrainska Pravda shared this comment. The official also emphasized that it is too early to draw conclusions.
