On January 23-24, 2026, Abu Dhabi hosted the first closed talks since the start of the full-scale war between a trilateral security working group involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States. No official details were released, but sources cited by several outlets described the meeting as positive and said consultations could continue next week.
The talks took place in several formats, including narrow working groups and broader delegation-level discussions. According to Novaya-Europe, the agenda covered security, political and economic issues. The first session of the trilateral group was held on January 23, while separate Russia-US economic contacts were also expected.
Yury Ushakov, an aide to Vladimir Putin, said the Russian delegation arrived in the UAE on January 22. Before that, in the early hours of January 23, Putin held a meeting lasting more than three and a half hours with US representatives Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner and Josh Gruenbaum. Ushakov said Putin then gave diplomats specific instructions and that Moscow believes no lasting settlement is possible without resolving the territorial issue.
Ushakov said that, in Putin's view, Russia is sincerely interested in a political and diplomatic settlement, but until that happens it intends to continue military action.
Sources said the central issue was the territorial dispute, above all Donbas, along with security guarantees for Ukraine and Moscow's demand that NATO not expand further. A TASS source said Ukraine's withdrawal from Donbas was a matter of principle for Moscow, while a source cited by The Bell said there were no final decisions yet but progress on almost all major issues.
Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking in Davos, endorsed talks on neutral ground and said even technical-level dialogue was better than having no dialogue at all. He also stressed that the Donbas issue remained central. At the same time, Russian strikes overnight on January 24 hit Kyiv and Kharkiv; according to Ukrainian authorities, one civilian was killed in Kyiv and dozens were injured, including 19 people in the Kharkiv region.
The Financial Times wrote that the United States initiated the trilateral format and that a shuttle-style arrangement of parallel contacts was discussed, similar to the model used in November 2025. Corriere della Sera reported that four draft documents could be presented as a basis for a peace treaty, including a proposal for a full Ukrainian withdrawal from Donbas in exchange for security guarantees and an $800 billion reconstruction program. Witkoff said work on a peace plan was already 90% complete.
Russia's delegation included, among others, Admiral Igor Kostyukov, Kirill Dmitriev and, according to Agenstvo, Alexander Zorin. The Ukrainian team included Kyrylo Budanov, Andriy Hnatov, Serhiy Kyslytsya, Davyd Arakhamia and Rustem Umerov. Axios listed Dan Driscoll, Witkoff and Kushner as part of the US group. On January 24, the talks ended after more than three hours without public statements, but Zelensky and sources cited by Axios, TASS and NBC News described them as constructive and said another round remained possible.