Kremlin: Trilateral Talks Between Moscow, Washington, and Kyiv in Abu Dhabi on Ukrainian Settlement

The Russian presidential administration (the Kremlin) announced that a new round of trilateral negotiations between Russia, the United States, and Ukraine will be held in Abu Dhabi next November as part of efforts to resume the diplomatic track and reach a peaceful settlement to the Ukrainian crisis. Russian news agency RIA Novosti quoted Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov as saying that the anticipated negotiations would focus on the security issues of both Russia and Ukraine in the post-settlement phase, emphasizing that achieving a comprehensive resolution to the crisis requires discussing these files. Peskov’s remarks came after Russian President Vladimir Putin met with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in Saint Petersburg, where the two sides discussed the path to a Ukrainian settlement and U.S. efforts to resume negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv. Peskov reported that Putin expressed Russia’s in-principle readiness to resume trilateral negotiations, without disclosing details of the talks, noting that “public discussion of proposals could harm the negotiation process.” Responding to reports about the possibility of European Union participation in the negotiations, Peskov said that “the feasibility of appointing a special European envoy to participate depends on the position Brussels will take.” In a separate development, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov announced the start of Russian diesel supplies under agreements concluded with the United States, confirming that they would continue on a regular basis. Peskov noted that a potential meeting between Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and U.S. President Donald Trump would be of great importance and attract wide international attention, highlighting the Russian president’s readiness to participate in events next week, including the Gas Exporting Countries Forum and the Russia-Africa Summit. These new diplomatic moves come amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war since February 2022 and intensified U.S. efforts to reach a settlement that would end the conflict. Recent weeks have seen U.S. contacts with both the Russian and Ukrainian sides to discuss resuming trilateral negotiations. The hosting of the upcoming talks in Abu Dhabi remains contingent on finalizing arrangements among the relevant parties.