ABU DHABI: Trilateral negotiations between Ukraine, the United States and Russia are set to resume on Saturday in the United Arab Emirates, following what US officials described as a “productive” first day of talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
Delegations from the three countries concluded the first of two planned days of discussions on Friday in Abu Dhabi, the White House told Anadolu. A US official said the opening session had been constructive and confirmed that negotiations would continue in the Emirati capital.
The Kremlin also struck a cautiously optimistic tone. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said efforts to resolve the conflict were moving forward and stressed the importance of implementing what he described as the “Anchorage formula”.
“The work is ongoing. It’s progressing. Now it’s crucial to implement the formula agreed upon in Anchorage,” Peskov said, as quoted by Tass, referring to a face-to-face meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held in August.
Peskov added that his remarks echoed comments by Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, who said that without resolving territorial issues in line with the Anchorage framework, a durable settlement would be difficult to achieve.
The talks mark the first formal trilateral negotiations involving Russia, the United States and Ukraine since intensified diplomatic efforts began earlier this year. In a statement, the UAE Foreign Ministry said the discussions were being held over two days as part of ongoing efforts to promote dialogue and identify political solutions to the crisis.
While no concrete outcomes were announced after Friday’s session, officials on all sides pointed to a positive atmosphere, with Saturday’s talks expected to focus on narrowing differences over territorial questions and possible security arrangements.
