Russian and Ukrainian delegates held their second and final day of discussions in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday as part of the Trump administration’s renewed push to mediate a deal that would bring an end to Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.
State media reported that negotiation teams from the two warring countries, joined by White House envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, wrapped up their last talks after less than two hours. The chief Russian and Ukrainian delegates are expected to hold separate press conferences in the coming hour.
Ukraine’s chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, said earlier on Wednesday that his team will hold a meeting with European representatives following the three-way talks with Russia and the United States.
The Kremlin said Russian delegates in Abu Dhabi did not plan to meet with any of the representatives from Europe. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said President Vladimir Putin was being provided with regular updates about the progress of this week’s talks.
Delegates from Russia and Ukraine last met in Geneva in February, but further negotiations were put on hold following the outbreak of the U.S. Israel war against Iran. Since then, Ukraine and Russia have dramatically ramped up their attacks on each other’s territory, inflicting significant economic pain and a growing human toll.
On Tuesday, Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, described the first day of the latest round of peace talks as “constructive.”
“We are working to end this devastating war and establish the security arrangements necessary for a sovereign, secure and prosperous Ukraine and lasting peace across Europe,” Kushner wrote in a post on X.
This week’s talks appear largely focused on developing a post-war security framework for Ukraine and Europe more broadly. That sets them apart from previous rounds of negotiations, which centered on issues more directly related to the war and territorial disagreements.
U.S. officials told the Financial Times that they are looking to resolve the Ukraine war and broader security arrangements for the continent in tandem, but emphasized that European officials should have a seat at the table, something that Moscow has so far rejected.
This is a developing story. Please come back later for more details.
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