Ukraine, Russia and US Meet in Abu Dhabi as Zelensky Hopes Talks Will End War

Abu Dhabi is hosting the first trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

The negotiations are being viewed as a crucial moment for Ukraine, and a test of whether Moscow is genuinely prepared to end the conflict or merely using diplomacy to buy time.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the meeting as “a step – hopefully towards ending the war,” and said discussions would focus on the future status of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, which has been at the centre of the conflict.

The Donbas issue has become the main sticking point after months of negotiations, with both sides far apart over what the region’s future should look like. Ukraine’s leaders insist on retaining full sovereignty, while Russia has made territorial claims over Donbas and other areas.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Zelensky said he had reached an agreement with former US President Donald Trump on future security guarantees for Ukraine if a peace deal is reached. Trump has also signalled optimism, saying he believes both Putin and Zelensky want a deal.

The Kremlin’s foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov has also hinted that Donbas will be key to any breakthrough, suggesting that progress there could unlock broader negotiations.

But analysts warn that even if an agreement is reached over Donbas, Russia’s ambitions may extend beyond that region. The Kremlin still claims Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, and currently controls large parts of Ukraine, including Crimea.

That raises concerns that a deal focused only on Donbas may not end Moscow’s wider territorial goals or its pressure on Kyiv’s political independence.