Ukraine-Russia-US talks kick off in Abu Dhabi

Three-way talks between Russia, Ukraine and the US opened in Abu Dhabi, the UAE said on Friday, as Moscow said it was not dropping its demand that Kyiv pull out of its eastern Donbas region.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said territory remained the key issue and would be on the agenda for the talks.

They are the first direct public negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv on a plan being pushed by the US President Donald Trump to end the almost four-year-long war.

"The talks commenced today in Abu Dhabi and are scheduled to continue over two days, as part of ongoing efforts to promote dialogue and identify political solutions to the crisis," the UAE foreign ministry said in a statement.

High-level teams from the three countries gathered for the negotiations a day after Trump met with Zelensky in Davos — and hours after US envoy Steve Witkoff held late-night talks with Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin.

The Abu Dhabi meeting is the first time they face each other to talk about the Trump administration's plan.

Along with security chief Umerov, Kyiv's team also includes Zelensky's new chief-of-staff Kyrylo Budanov, negotiator David Arakhamia and ground army chief Andriy Gnatov.

Moscow is sending General Igor Kostyukov — director of its GRU military intelligence agency — as part of an all-military delegation.

The Kremlin also said its economic envoy Kirill Dmitriev would be there to hold separate Russia-US talks with Witkoff, who is leading the American side, and Kushner.

Agence France-Presse