Abu Dhabi peace talks yield procedural progress, no breakthrough on Donetsk

The second round of trilateral peace talks between Ukraine, the United States, and Russia concluded in Abu Dhabi on February 5, with officials describing the discussions as constructive, though no major breakthroughs were achieved, an informed source told reporters.

The most contentious issue—the control of the entire Donetsk region—remains unresolved. According to the source, the meeting began with a plenary session involving all participants, after which delegations convened in subgroups to tackle specific topics, Caliber.Az reports, citing Ukrainian media.

“However, there has been progress on procedural issues. The main topic discussed in the military track was the disengagement procedure—how it should technically be implemented. The discussions included defining timelines and procedures for ceasefire and halting hostilities, monitoring, and establishing a center to oversee this process,” the source said.

The source added that, during the talks, the Russian delegation did not raise demands concerning a reduction in the size of the Ukrainian army or restrictions on specific types of weapons. A preliminary agreement was reached to hold the next meeting soon with the same delegations.

Ukrainian officials remain cautious, however, noting that Moscow could use the recent incident involving Russian GRU General Vladimir Alekseyev as a pretext to delay or disrupt negotiations—or even to alter its delegation for security reasons.

In addition to ceasefire discussions, the parties focused on monitoring the halt of hostilities and agreed to proceed with another prisoner exchange, according to the post-meeting readout.

By Vafa Guliyeva