Zelensky Describes First Day of Ukraine-US-Russia Talks as ‘Constructive and Substantive’

Kyiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has described the first day of trilateral talks between Ukraine, the United States and Russia in Abu Dhabi as "constructive and quite substantive", expressing cautious optimism about the ongoing diplomatic engagement.

In a statement posted on X after speaking with Ukraine's negotiating team on Tuesday (local time), Zelensky said the discussions focused on several key issues, including humanitarian concerns, the release of prisoners and security guarantees for Ukraine. Measures to de-escalate the conflict were also discussed.

He said he had given the Ukrainian delegation clear instructions for the next round of discussions scheduled for Wednesday. Further engagements with US presidential envoys and European representatives are also planned in the coming days, Xinhua news agency reported.

The delegations from Russia, Ukraine and the United States met in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, on Tuesday for their first trilateral discussions since February.

Before the main talks, the Ukrainian delegation held consultations with representatives from Britain, France, Germany and Italy, along with officials from NATO and the European Commission. US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner also attended the trilateral meeting.

The diplomatic efforts are taking place against the backdrop of continued hostilities between Russia and Ukraine, with fresh casualties reported from the conflict zones.

In the Lugansk region, five civilians, including a passenger travelling on a bus, were killed in Ukrainian strikes over the past 24 hours, local leader Leonid Pasechnik said on Tuesday. Four others were injured, he added in a post on Telegram.

Separately, Russian Foreign Ministry Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik told reporters that three employees of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant had been killed in Ukrainian attacks over the preceding two weeks.

The Abu Dhabi talks come amid continuing efforts to find a diplomatic path towards reducing hostilities, with humanitarian arrangements and security guarantees emerging as key issues in the negotiations.

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