On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy characterized the recent trilateral discussions in Abu Dhabi, involving the United States, Russia, and Ukraine, as “constructive.” He highlighted that these meetings, focusing on potential solutions to end Moscow’s war, were a unique format not seen in some time.

Zelenskyy explained that the United Arab Emirates hosted these two-day talks, which included political and military representatives from each nation. The discussions covered security concerns, emphasizing the necessity for American oversight and monitoring.

“We covered a lot of ground, and it’s crucial that the dialogues were constructive,” he shared on X, indicating that further meetings might occur as early as next week. “After these sessions, all parties agreed to brief their respective capitals on every negotiation facet and to align subsequent actions with their leaders.”

The Abu Dhabi discussions followed a meeting in Moscow on Thursday, which featured Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner—former President Donald Trump’s son-in-law—and Josh Gruenbaum, head of the Federal Acquisition Service.

Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner Josh Gruenbaum at the Kremlin in Moscow on January 22, 2026. (Alexander Kazakov/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Putin aide Yuri Ushakov said the “extremely frank” discussions lasted roughly four hours and included U.S. officials updating Moscow on their recent conversations with Ukrainian and European leaders.

“Importantly, the participants in the conversation between the President of Russia and the Americans reaffirmed the fact that bringing about a lasting settlement would be unlikely without addressing the territorial issue based on the formula as agreed in Anchorage,” Ushakov said, according to a summary of the meeting from the Kremlin.

Territorial issues remain a key obstacle in the negotiations, with Moscow pressing Kyiv to relinquish parts of eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region that Russian forces do not fully control.

Icicles hang from balconies in an apartment block damaged by a drone strike in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Jan. 24, 2026. (Viacheslav Madiievskyi/Ukrinform/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The diplomatic efforts come as Russia continues its strikes across Ukraine, targeting the country’s energy sector, critical infrastructure and residential areas.

Zelenskyy said on Sunday that Russian forces had launched more than 1,700 attack drones, over 1,380 guided aerial bombs and 69 missiles in the past week alone.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrives to meet UK Defense Secretary John Healey at the Presidential Palace in Kyiv on Jan. 9, 2026. (Stefan Rousseau/PA Images via Getty Images)

The European Commission, the EU’s executive body, said ahead of the trilateral talks that it was deploying 447 emergency generators to help restore power to hospitals, shelters and critical services, as more than one million Ukrainians face outages amid freezing temperatures.

“The EU will not let Russia freeze Ukraine into submission and will continue helping Ukrainians get through this winter,” the commission said.