Russia: Talks with US and Ukraine in UAE were constructive

MOSCOW: The Kremlin on Monday said the US-brokered trilateral talks in the UAE between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators were constructive, as the sides prepare to return soon for another round of discussions, though it cautioned that there was still “significant work ahead.”

“It would be a mistake to expect any significant results from the initial contacts... But the very fact that these contacts have begun in a constructive spirit can be viewed positively. However, there is significant work ahead,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.

Talks between envoys from Ukraine, Russia and the United States were held in Abu Dhabi on Friday and Saturday. Officials revealed few details of the talks held on Friday and Saturday, which were part of a yearlong effort by the Trump administration to steer the sides toward a peace deal and end almost four years of all-out war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said meanwhile that a US security guarantees document for Ukraine is “100% ready” following two days of talks in the UAE involving representatives from Ukraine, the United States and Russia.

Speaking in Vilnius during a visit to Lithuania, Zelensky said Ukraine is now waiting for its partners to set a signing date, after which the document would be sent to the US Congress and the Ukrainian parliament for ratification.

He also reiterated Ukraine’s push for European Union membership by 2027, calling it an “economic security guarantee.”

Zelensky described the talks in Abu Dhabi as likely the first trilateral format in “quite a long while” that included not only diplomats but military representatives from all three sides. The negotiations, which began on Friday and continued through Saturday, were the latest effort to end Russia’s nearly four-year war.

However, he acknowledged deep differences between Kyiv and Moscow, stressing that territorial issues remain a major sticking point.

“Our position regarding our territory — Ukraine’s territorial integrity — must be respected,” Zelensky said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin separately held marathon talks late Thursday with US President Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on a possible settlement.

The Kremlin has insisted that any peace deal would require Kyiv to withdraw its troops from eastern regions that Russia has illegally annexed but does not fully control.

Zelensky said Washington is trying to find a compromise, but stressed that “all sides must be ready for compromise.”

A US official said negotiators will return to the UAE on February 1 for the next round of talks.

The recent discussions covered a wide range of military and economic issues, including the possibility of a ceasefire ahead of a broader agreement. There was still no final framework on oversight and operation of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe’s largest, which remains under Russian occupation.

At the same time, Zelensky renewed calls for greater air defence support from allies, as hundreds of buildings in Kyiv remained without heating for a second day in freezing temperatures following Russian strikes.

Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure throughout the war, but Kyiv says this winter has been the harshest yet, with waves of drones and missiles overwhelming air defences during severe cold spells.

“This week alone, the Russians have launched more than 1,700 attack drones, over 1,380 guided aerial bombs, and 69 missiles of various types,” Zelensky said.

Kyiv has been particularly hard hit, with Mayor Vitali Klitschko saying 1,676 high-rise apartment buildings were left without heating after the January 24 attacks.

Sub-zero temperatures and continued bombardments have slowed repair efforts to restore power and heat across the capital.