The second trilateral meeting will take place in Abu Dhabi later this week, spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said
© Getty Images/YuTphotograph
[RT] The
next meeting between Russian, US and Ukrainian negotiators will take
place on February 1, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed on
Wednesday, marking a second round of trilateral contacts aimed at
exploring a possible settlement to the conflict.
Speaking to reporters in Moscow, Peskov said the date is still a “rough estimate,”
but added that preparations are underway for the meeting, which is
expected to be held in Abu Dhabi. The first round of talks between the
three sides took place there last week and lasted two days.
Peskov described the start of direct contacts between Moscow, Washington and Kiev as a “positive” development, saying experts were discussing “a whole range of complex issues related to the settlement.” He did not provide details on the agenda.
All
sides have acknowledged that territorial disputes remain the central
obstacle to any peace agreement. Moscow says a lasting deal would
require Ukraine to withdraw its forces from the regions of Donetsk and
Lugansk, which voted to join Russia in 2022. The Kremlin has also
demanded that Kiev formally recognize the new borders, including Crimea.
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has repeatedly ruled out territorial
concessions.
Yury Ushakov, a senior aide to President Vladimir Putin who attended
the previous talks, said before last week’s meeting that Russia
currently holds the battlefield initiative and would pursue its
objectives militarily if a diplomatic solution cannot be reached.
The
renewed contacts come amid continued fighting and diplomatic efforts to
test whether a negotiated framework is possible, though officials on
all sides have cautioned that significant differences remain.