USA Witkoff and Dmitriev speak of constructive meeting
Ahead of new negotiations this Sunday in Abu Dhabi on ending Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, Kremlin negotiator Kirill Dmitriev has traveled to the USA again. There had been a constructive meeting with the US delegation, Dmitriev told X after the meeting in Miami. He also held productive talks with a working group on US-Russian economic relations. He met with the US special envoy of President Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff.
31.01.2026, 20:43
SDA
Witkoff wrote about the meeting that productive and constructive talks had taken place with Dmitriev as part of the US mediation attempt to resolve the war in Ukraine. The meeting reinforced the view that Russia is working towards securing peace in Ukraine. According to Witkoff, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and government advisor Josh Gruenbaum were also present on the US side.
This Sunday in Abu Dhabi, the Russians and Ukrainians want to continue their direct negotiations on a possible end to the war, which resumed last weekend after a long time. Although the negotiating teams have repeatedly spoken of constructive talks, an agreement on a peace treaty is not yet in sight.
Russia does not want to attack any energy facilities until Sunday
Russia is demanding that Ukraine also withdraw from those parts of the Donbass - which includes the Luhansk and Donetsk regions - that are still controlled by Kiev. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had repeatedly rejected such territorial cessions.
Following the meeting between Russia's Dmitriyev and the US delegation, Zelenskyi announced that Kiev was now expecting concrete information on further meetings next week. "Ukraine is ready to cooperate in all working formats. It is important that there are results," he said in his evening video message. He did not mention the negotiations planned for Sunday in Abu Dhabi.
Following a request from US President Donald Trump, Russia agreed to temporarily refrain from new attacks on the energy infrastructure due to the extreme cold and the already extensive damage in Kiev and other cities. Attacks on other targets continued. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the limited ceasefire would only last until this Sunday in order to create a good basis for negotiations.
Ukraine has been defending itself against the Russian war of aggression for almost four years with Western help.
