Ukrainian, U.S., and Russian officials are set to hold security discussions in the United Arab Emirates on Friday, January 23, following a meeting of top U.S. negotiators with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, the Kremlin said. The talks are part of ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the conflict in Ukraine.
U.S. negotiators—led by envoy Steve Witkoff—met with Putin in Moscow late Thursday into the early hours of Friday. Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov described the discussions as “useful in every respect.” Video footage showed Putin shaking hands with Witkoff, U.S. president Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and White House advisor Josh Gruenbaum.
The negotiations will continue in Abu Dhabi, with a Russian delegation headed by General Igor Kostyukov, director of Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency, expected to join the talks. Ushakov confirmed that “the first meeting of a trilateral working group on security issues will take place in Abu Dhabi.”
Ukrainian officials, led by Rustem Umerov, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, will also participate, alongside Lieutenant General Andriy Gnatov, chief of staff of the Ukrainian armed forces.
President Zelensky said the draft deal on post-war security guarantees was “nearly, nearly ready,” adding that he and Trump had agreed on key points. He also noted that the UK and France had committed forces on the ground.
