Ukraine, Russia return to negotiating table in Abu Dhabi Second Round Without Top US Envoys

Abu Dhabi is set to host the second round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine on February 1, aimed at finding a resolution to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

The previous talks were held at the same location on January 23–24 in a trilateral format that included Russia, the United States, and Ukraine, Caliber.Az reports, citing Ukrainian media.

Details regarding the timing and duration of the upcoming meeting have not been disclosed. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that the session will be conducted bilaterally, with direct discussions between Russian and Ukrainian representatives. While the possible presence of US officials is not excluded, key American negotiators—including president’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner—will not participate in this round of talks.

To recall, Russia, Ukraine, and the US held two days of consultations in Abu Dhabi on January 23-24. Both Kyiv and Washington described the talks as “constructive," while the Kremlin spokesperson Peskov said contacts had begun in a constructive manner, but with "significant work ahead."

Last week, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, who took part in the talks in Abu Dhabi, told an event in Davos, Switzerland, that “a lot of progress” had been made in Russia-Ukraine peace talks and that negotiations were down to one last issue.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said in an interview that Zelenskyy is ready to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to address the “most sensitive” issues remaining in a 20-point peace plan to end the nearly four-year war, which he said are territories and the operation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

By Vafa Guliyeva