US, Ukraine and Russia to hold talks in UAE, Kremlin says
Diplomatic efforts to end war in Ukraine gain pace after talks between US and Russia follow what Moscow describes as “useful”.
The United States, Ukraine, and Russia have agreed to hold talks in the United Arab Emirates, the Kremlin has said, following what it described as "useful" discussions between Russian President Vladimir Putin and senior US envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow.
Diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine have gained pace in recent months, although Moscow and Kiev remain divided over territory and post-war arrangements.
According to the Kremlin, US negotiators led by Steve Witkoff held talks with Putin in Moscow that lasted into the early hours of Friday.
Kremlin diplomatic adviser Yuri Ushakov told reporters the discussions had been "useful in every respect."
Witkoff and the US delegation are now flying to Abu Dhabi, where talks are expected to continue.
A Russian delegation headed by General Igor Kostyukov, director of Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency, will also travel to the UAE, Ushakov said.
"It was agreed that the first meeting of a trilateral working group on security issues will take place today in Abu Dhabi," he added.
Further details of the talks have not been released, and it remains unclear whether Russian and Ukrainian officials will meet face to face.
"We are genuinely interested in resolving the conflict through political and diplomatic means," Ushakov said.
"Until that happens, Russia will continue to achieve its objectives on the battlefield," he added.
On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a draft deal was "nearly, nearly ready," adding that he and US President Donald Trump had agreed on the issue of post-war security guarantees.
The talks in the UAE mark the first confirmed trilateral engagement involving officials from Washington, Kiev, and Moscow since the latest diplomatic push began.