Washington Anticipates Putin-Zelensky Meeting After Abu Dhabi Negotiations
The trilateral negotiations between Russia, the United States, and Ukraine, held in Abu Dhabi, have laid the groundwork for further dialogue in the near future and outlined next steps for resolving the crisis. This is expected to open paths to a personal meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky. We will detail what is expected to happen in the foreseeable future.
When Will the Next Negotiations Take Place
The sides agreed to hold a new round of negotiations on Sunday, February 1, in the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Reuters was the first to report this date, citing an American official.
«Next Sunday, God willing, there will be a new meeting where we will advance this deal to its final form,» he said.
Formal confirmation came from U.S. Presidential Special Envoy Steven Witkoff.
«Plans have been made to continue discussions next week in Abu Dhabi,» the U.S. representative wrote on X.
Details and Assessment of the Past Meeting
The concluded two-day consultations were described by participants as intensive and comprehensive. An unnamed American representative noted «a lot of respect in the room» and work on «the finest details.»
«Everything was discussed. No side shied away from discussion… There was tremendous respect in the room because they were genuinely seeking solutions,» a source told Axios.
Axios journalist Barak Ravid cited an assessment from a U.S. administration official who saw the very fact of holding trilateral talks as a signal: they «demonstrate that they [Moscow and Kyiv] see progress.»
A Reuters interlocutor also assured that the security protocols being developed for post-war Ukraine look «very robust.»
Key Issues Discussed at the Negotiation Table
The discussion touched on the most complex aspects of a potential settlement.
Security and Territories: According to Axios, the sides discussed issues «concerning territories and control over the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, as well as possible de-escalation measures.»
Guarantees for Ukraine: The American position, voiced in a conversation with Politico, places U.S. guarantees at the forefront, not those of European allies: «The efforts of the «coalition of the willing» are nice… but if you talk to Ukrainians, in reality, American security guarantees matter.»
Possibility of a Leaders« Meeting
Progress in negotiations is generating cautious optimism about the next logical step.
A U.S. administration representative in a conversation with Axios stated that the sides are «very close to a meeting between Putin and Zelensky.» He clarified that «additional trilateral negotiations must be organized before that,» but expressed confidence.
«If we continue on the current course, we will get there,» the source told the publication.
So far, there have been no official statements regarding negotiations at the level of heads of state.
Challenges and Difficulties
Despite positive assessments, the path to an agreement remains difficult. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov gave a more restrained assessment of the dialogue with Washington on some issues.
«As for the general assessment of relations with the United States, in my opinion, the most applicable word for them today is stagnation,» Ryabkov said in an interview with TASS.
He explained that this has led to a change in the level of contacts. According to him, they have become working-level but continue.
Moreover, during the negotiations and immediately after, powerful drone attacks occurred. The Russian Foreign Ministry called this a step towards the escalation of the conflict.
In Abu Dhabi on January 23–24, trilateral consultations on settling the Ukrainian conflict took place. Representatives from Russia, the United States, and Ukraine were present. The meetings were held in a maximally closed format without press presence. Presumably, central agenda items included discussing terms for a potential peace settlement, including security issues and territorial disputes. The events in the UAE were preceded by meetings between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. Special Envoy Steven Witkoff, as well as a dialogue between U.S. leader Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky.
