Zelenskiy says US-brokered Ukraine-Russia talks slated for Abu Dhabi

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced that a U.S.-brokered trilateral round of talks involving Ukraine and Russia will take place in Abu Dhabi on Feb. 4 and 5. In a Telegram post he wrote, “We have just had a report from our negotiating team. The dates for the next trilateral meetings have been set: Feb. 4 and 5 in Abu Dhabi. Ukraine is ready for substantive talks, and we are interested in an outcome that will bring us closer to a real and dignified end to the war.”

Zelenskiy reiterated on social platforms that Kyiv seeks a negotiated outcome that ends the conflict with dignity and warned that continued strikes on civilian infrastructure undercut diplomacy. On Facebook he said, “Every such Russian strike on our energy infrastructure proves that there must be no delays in supplying air defenses. No blind eye can be turned to these strikes; they must be met with a strong response.”

The announcement follows an initial trilateral meeting held at Al Shati Palace in Abu Dhabi on Jan. 24, where negotiators discussed a revised 20-point plan addressing territory, economy, security and other areas. Delegations are expected to include leading Ukrainian security and political figures: Rustem Umerov, Kyrylo Budanov, David Arakhamia and Andrii Hnatov. The Russian team has been led by General Igor Kostyukov with top envoy Kirill Dmitriev engaged in parallel economic and political discussions. The United States has been represented in recent diplomacy by U.S. peace envoy Steve Witkoff and senior advisers who met Russian interlocutors in advance.

U.S. and Russian officials had not immediately confirmed the Feb. 4–5 schedule after Zelenskiy’s announcement. U.S. envoys characterized earlier encounters as productive. Steve Witkoff, speaking after a meeting with Kirill Dmitriev in Florida, said, “We are encouraged by this meeting that Russia is working toward securing peace in Ukraine.” Dmitriev described his talks with the U.S. delegation as “constructive.”

Despite diplomatic momentum, substantive obstacles remain. Negotiators are reported to be wrestling with territorial arrangements, most notably the status of the Donbas, which Moscow has made central to its demands. Russian officials have framed the work as needing to align with prior understandings reached by national leaders. Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow wants a plan that “fully corresponds to the fundamental understandings” reached in earlier summitry.

The diplomatic push is unfolding against renewed violence and contested ceasefire arrangements. Ukrainian authorities reported Russian strikes that have targeted energy infrastructure and civilian sites, including a drone strike that killed miners aboard a bus and a reported hit on a maternity hospital in southern Ukraine. Russia said it had agreed to a pause in attacks on energy infrastructure until Sunday; Ukraine said it believed any suspension was to last longer. Kyiv also reported strikes on several Russian targets overnight, including an oil refinery in the Krasnodar region, which the Ukrainian General Staff said was “involved in supplying the aggressor’s armed forces.”

For now, officials emphasize that few details of any text or accord have been released and that territorial issues remain unresolved. Zelenskiy cautioned it is too early to draw conclusions, while mediators in Washington and Abu Dhabi prepare for the next diplomatic window. There is broad international interest in whether these talks can convert episodic engagement into a durable, enforceable settlement.