The U.S., Ukraine and Russia have restarted trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi as diplomats seek limited areas of agreement amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The meetings are being hosted by the United Arab Emirates. In a statement released by the the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, officials said representatives from all three countries are participating in joint and bilateral discussions focused on diplomatic engagement and humanitarian issues.
Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said the opening phase of the talks focused on practical and humanitarian matters, describing the discussions as substantive despite continued fighting.
One issue under discussion is a potential new prisoner-of-war exchange. In a video address published on his official Telegram channel, President Volodymyr Zelensky said he expects a prisoner exchange "in the near future" after receiving a report from Ukraine's negotiating delegation on the trilateral talks.
The talks come as Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure continue. Ukrainian government briefings this week said the attacks complicate diplomatic efforts and undermine confidence-building measures discussed during negotiations.
U.S. officials participating in the Abu Dhabi meetings are part of the Trump administration's renewed effort to pursue direct diplomatic engagement involving both Kyiv and Moscow. U.S. government officials familiar with the talks have indicated the discussions are focused on narrower agreements rather than a comprehensive peace settlement.
International Business Times has reached out to the U.S. State Department, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Russian Embassy for comment on the talks. At the time of publication, no responses had been received.
Originally published on IBTimes
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