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Direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, with close observation from the Trump management, are set to commence Friday in Abu Dhabi, signaling a potential shift in the ongoing conflict. The talks, approved by Russian President Vladimir Putin following a late-night Kremlin meeting, will involve U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and aim to build on a roadmap previously established after a summit between Trump and Putin in Alaska last August. The move comes amidst heightened geopolitical tensions, including Trump’s recent assertive actions concerning Greenland and the launch of his new Peace Board, intended to supplant the United Nations.
Russia and Ukraine are set to hold direct negotiations this Friday and Saturday, as the administration of former President Donald Trump closely monitors the talks. Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved a proposal for a trilateral meeting in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, with the U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, following lengthy discussions late Thursday. “The Kremlin meeting was beneficial in all respects for both Russia and the United States,” Putin’s foreign policy advisor, Yuri Ushakov, said after its conclusion.
According to the diplomat, Moscow and Washington have agreed to maintain “close contacts on Ukraine and other issues” in their first bilateral meeting since the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a Russian ally, and Trump’s assertive move toward Greenland, a territory of a NATO ally.
Shortly before midnight local time, Donald Trump’s special envoy, Jared Kushner, and the director of his Peace Board, Josh Gruenbaum, arrived in Moscow. The Peace Board is a White House-backed organization intended to supplant the United Nations and oversee construction projects in the devastated Gaza Strip. Representing the Kremlin were Putin’s foreign policy advisor, veteran Yuri Ushakov, and Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund and a special envoy with ties to Putin’s family.
The negotiations concluded after three a.m. local time (2 a.m. in mainland Spain) after nearly four hours. This was the seventh meeting between Putin and Witkoff, though relatively shorter than their five-hour discussion in December.
The Financial Times reported that Washington and Kyiv will propose “a limited ceasefire” to the Emirati hosts. According to the British newspaper, Russia would halt its bombing of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, while Ukraine would cease attacks on Russian refineries and tankers within its “ghost fleet.” This potential agreement could offer a respite for the Ukrainian population facing a harsh winter with temperatures well below freezing and widespread heating outages, and provide some relief to Russia’s strained finances. However, the Kremlin has not publicly commented on any possible truce.
Putin has signaled he is unwilling to make concessions. “Without resolving the territorial issue, a long-term solution in Ukraine is impossible. Russia will continue to pursue the objectives of its special military operation until a solution to the territorial dispute between Russia and Ukraine is reached through the Anchorage formula,” Ushakov stated, referring to the summit between Trump and Putin in Alaska last August. The development underscores the ongoing complexities in finding a path to peace in Ukraine.
Few details emerged from the Alaska summit, though Moscow maintains that Trump agreed to pressure Ukraine to make territorial concessions. Russia is demanding full control of the provinces of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia, as well as the disarmament of Kyiv.
Ushakov said Thursday’s Kremlin meeting focused on reviewing the roadmap agreed upon by the United States, Ukraine, and Europe following the Alaska summit, which would allow Ukraine to maintain a strong army without relinquishing the territories Russia demands.
The Russian delegation to Abu Dhabi, comprised of military officials, will be led by Igor Kostiukov, head of the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence service. The GRU is one of several intelligence agencies within the Russian system, alongside the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR).
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Trump earlier Thursday. Zelenskyy subsequently announced a three-way meeting with the United States and Russia in Abu Dhabi on Friday and Saturday, January 23 and 24.
Putin also met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday morning. “Only the establishment and full functioning of a Palestinian state can lead to a lasting solution to the conflict in the Middle East,” Putin said, while Trump was presenting his Peace Board in Davos. The announcement could influence future diplomatic talks in the region.
The U.S. president touted the organization, which he will indefinitely lead, supported by Middle Eastern monarchies and rejected by Europe, while Kushner announced a plan to rebuild Gaza as a tourist resort on the site of homes destroyed in the conflict.
“You may have heard that we are prepared to contribute a billion dollars to this new organization to support the Palestinian people,” Putin told Abbas, adding that the contribution, demanded by Trump from any country seeking indefinite membership, comes with strings attached. “We will do so with our assets frozen in the United States by the previous administration,” Putin explained, in a clear challenge to the sanctions imposed due to his invasion of Ukraine. Trump, however, appeared unconcerned, calling the proposal “very interesting.”
