The US, Russia and Ukraine are meeting in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), to discuss one of the key sticking points holding back a deal to end the nearly four-year war: territorial disputes. The talks in Abu Dhabi are the first trilateral talks since 2022.
The trilateral sit-down comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s meeting with Trump in Davos and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s meeting with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
Witkoff and Kushner traveled to the UAE on Thursday for the talks following their meeting with Putin in Moscow.
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The President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, will receive the heads of delegations participating in the UAE-hosted trilateral talks involving the United States, Russia and Ukraine on January 23, 2026. (Hamad Al Kaabi/UAE Presidential Court/presentation via Reuters)
Zelensky and Putin are under increasing pressure to reach a peace deal as the fourth anniversary of the Moscow invasion approaches and President Donald Trump pushes for an end to the war.
While Russia has demanded that Ukraine cede the Donbass, Zelenskiy has stood firm in his opposition to making land concessions, although discussions in Abu Dhabi suggest he may be willing to negotiate. Putin demands that Ukraine surrender the 20% it controls of the Donetsk region of the Donbas. according to Reuters.
The US, Ukraine and Russia hold the first trilateral meeting in years. (Sputnik/Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Pool via Reuters; Denis Balibouse/Reuters; Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters)
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“The issue of Donbas is crucial. It will be discussed how the three sides see this today and tomorrow in Abu Dhabi,” Zelenskyy told reporters via WhatsApp, according to Reuters. The outlet added that an aide to Zelenskyy said talks are expected to continue on Saturday.
The envoys are meeting as Ukrainians face subzero temperatures after Russian attacks damaged the country’s power supply.
Maxim Timchenko, the head of Ukraine’s largest private energy producer, told Reuters the situation was approaching a “humanitarian catastrophe.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky both met separately with President Donald Trump. Despite a peace deal being close, territorial disputes remain, Zelenskyy said. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP; Christian Bruna/Getty)
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While speaking to reporters from Air Force One, Trump was asked whether the trilateral meeting could lead to a meeting with himself, Putin and Zelenskyy. He didn’t want to commit, but said, “every time we meet, it’s good.” He also expressed doubts about whether Putin wanted to take over all of Ukraine.
“What happened here is there were times when Putin didn’t want to make a deal, times when Zelensky didn’t want to make a deal, and they were opposite times. Now I think they both want to make a deal. We’ll find out,” Trump said.
The president also acknowledged that the topics of the discussions had been debated for months.
