Talks in Abu Dhabi Putin apparently already agrees with Selensky on one point
After talks in Davos and Moscow on ending the war in Ukraine, the negotiations move to Abu Dhabi. Will it be possible to forge peace for Europe on the Arabian Peninsula?
23.01.2026, 08:45
dpa
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Russia and Ukraine hold direct talks at official level in Abu Dhabi for the first time in months.
- The USA is mediating after meetings in Davos and Moscow; no concrete breakthroughs are expected for the time being.
- The sticking points remain territory, the NATO issue and security guarantees - at best there is movement on energy and reconstruction.
Diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine are picking up speed. For the first time after a month-long break, the warring parties want to talk to each other at an official level again today - in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, with the USA acting as mediator.
The meeting of Russian and Ukrainian negotiators in Abu Dhabi is to be the preliminary highlight of a whole series of diplomatic meetings, following yesterday's separate talks with the US government.
First, US President Donald Trump spoke with Ukrainian head of state Volodymyr Zelenskyi at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday. In the evening, US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner traveled to Moscow, where they were received by Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin.
Kremlin speaks of useful meeting
The talks in the Kremlin were very open, trusting and constructive, said Putin's foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov afterwards. He described the meeting as useful, without mentioning specific results. Russia had been informed first-hand about the content of the talks in Davos, but would continue to pursue its goals on the battlefield as long as there was no diplomatic solution, Ushakov emphasized. According to him, Russia still has the upper hand on the front.
At the same time, the Russian side also confirmed its participation in the negotiations in Abu Dhabi for the first time after the meeting in the Kremlin. Putin had already given the delegation instructions for action, said Ushakov. Two days are planned for the round of negotiations in the Persian Gulf. According to Russia, the main focus will be on security issues.
What else you need to know now:
What is different from recent rounds of negotiations?
The last official meeting between the warring parties took place last summer in Istanbul, Turkey. It ended without any major breakthrough - only several prisoner exchanges were agreed, but not an end to the fighting.
This was followed by a kind of shuttle diplomacy: the US mediators spoke separately with the Russians and Ukrainians - and submitted their proposals to the other side.
Who is taking part in the talks?
According to President Zelenskyi, the Ukrainian delegation is a high-caliber one. It once again consists of chief negotiator Rustem Umjerow, Presidential Chancellery Chief Kyrylo Budanow, Chief of the General Staff Yuri Hnatow, the parliamentary group leader of the presidential party, David Arachamija, and Deputy Foreign Minister Serhij Kyslyzja.
On the US side, Witkoff, Kushner and the Secretary of State responsible for the army, Daniel Driscoll, are to be present.
The Russian negotiating delegation will be led by the head of military intelligence, Igor Kostyukov, according to Ushakov. In the summer, presidential advisor Vladimir Medinsky led the Russian delegation in the talks with the Ukrainians.
In addition, there will also be bilateral talks between Russia and the USA on improving economic relations - this working group will be led by Putin's special envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who maintains close contacts with Trump's administration.
What are the expectations?
As the talks are at expert level, no agreement is to be expected. Selenskyj has also already dampened expectations. The meeting was surprisingly organized by the USA and it remains to be seen whether Russia is really willing to compromise, he said.
US President Trump had expressed optimism in Davos and described the meeting with Selensky as good. However, he conceded that there was "still a way to go" to achieve peace. On the flight back to Washington, he declared that both Zelensky and Putin were now ready to make peace. He assured journalists that both sides would make concessions to bring an end to the war, which will soon have lasted four years.
His Vice President JD Vance, on the other hand, avoided making any predictions about the upcoming talks. Speaking to Trump supporters at an appearance in the US state of Ohio, Vance said that he had been disappointed in the past when he had thought that an agreement was imminent. However, progress will continue to be made.
Vance also said: "We want Europe to focus less on war and more on investment in the United States of America. And the best way to achieve that is to resolve this war peacefully."
What are the sticking points?
Probably the biggest problem is still the territorial issues. Moscow is not only claiming the already Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine for itself, but is also demanding the further withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from those areas in the Donetsk region that the Russians have not yet been able to conquer.
According to the Kremlin, Ukraine should also refrain from joining NATO and having a strong army, although Kiev hopes that this will provide deterrence and effective protection against further Russian aggression. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also called for the government in Kiev to be replaced on Monday. Moscow has repeatedly described the country's current leadership under Zelensky as fascist.
Where is there movement?
Surprisingly, a financial solution seems to be approaching. Putin had recently declared that the Russian assets frozen in the USA could also be used for the reconstruction of the areas destroyed in the war. However, it remained unclear whether he was possibly only referring to the reconstruction of the territories conquered by Russia.
An agreement on an end to the shelling of energy facilities would be conceivable. The Ukrainian civilian population in particular is suffering from this in the fourth winter of the war. The systematic destruction of power stations and substations has led to the biggest crisis in the country's energy supply since the start of the war. In the capital Kiev alone, thousands of households are repeatedly left without electricity and heating for long periods.
But Russia is also increasingly struggling with the effects of the air war. The Belgorod region near the border, for example, is also struggling with an energy crisis as a result of the Ukrainian attacks.
What could happen after the end of the war?
According to information from Brussels, work on a multi-billion euro reconstruction plan for Ukraine is largely complete. The European Union, the USA and Ukraine are close to an agreement, said EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen after a special EU summit. The plan for growth and prosperity is based on a needs assessment by the World Bank and is "a single document that represents the common vision of the Ukrainians, the Americans and Europe for the future of Ukraine after the war".
According to the document, business-friendly reforms and more competition should increase productivity and Ukraine should be integrated into the EU single market more quickly. Von der Leyen did not provide any information on possible funding commitments. According to the Hungarian government, Ukraine is insisting on a promise that 800 billion US dollars (around 680 billion euros) will be made available in the first ten years after the end of the war.
The reconstruction plan, together with Western security guarantees, should make it easier for Kiev to make concessions to Russia, which are likely to be necessary for a ceasefire. According to the German Press Agency, it remains controversial whether the plan should also give Ukraine a concrete prospect of joining the EU. According to information from negotiating circles, President Selensky is insisting that his country should be admitted as early as next year if possible.
