Russia, Ukraine and US to hold security talks in Abu Dhabi
“This is especially true on the battlefield, where the Russian armed forces hold the strategic initiative,” Ushakov said.
Russia said it will hold security talks with the United States and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi on Friday, but warned that a durable peace would be impossible unless territorial issues are resolved.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters that a late-night meeting between President Vladimir Putin and three US envoys, which began shortly before midnight and lasted around four hours, was "substantive, constructive and very frank".
Ushakov said Russian Admiral Igor Kostyukov will lead Moscow's delegation at the three-way security talks, while investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev will hold separate discussions on economic issues with Steve Witkoff, the envoy of US President Donald Trump.
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However, Ushakov stopped short of announcing any breakthrough.
"Most importantly, during these talks between our president and the Americans, it was reiterated that without resolving the territorial issue according to the formula agreed upon in Anchorage, there is no hope of achieving a long-term settlement," he said, referring to last year's Trump–Putin summit in Alaska.
He said Putin underlined that Russia was "sincerely interested" in a diplomatic solution, but added that Moscow would continue pursuing the objectives of what it calls its "special military operation" until an agreement is reached.
"This is especially true on the battlefield, where the Russian armed forces hold the strategic initiative," Ushakov said.
Ukraine, meanwhile, is facing one of the harshest winters since the start of the war, as Russia intensifies missile and drone strikes on energy infrastructure. With temperatures well below freezing, hundreds of thousands of people in Kyiv and other cities have endured prolonged power outages and heating shortages.
Kyiv cites these attacks as evidence that Putin is not genuinely interested in peace, a claim Moscow rejects. Russia says its gradual advances have come at a high cost.
On the Russian side, Putin, Ushakov and Dmitriev took part in the Moscow talks. The US delegation included Witkoff, Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner—who last met Putin in the Kremlin in early December—and Josh Gruenbaum, recently appointed by Trump as a senior adviser to his Board of Peace.
The discussions are part of Trump's broader effort to end the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II, now approaching its fourth year. Trump said on Wednesday that Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy would be "stupid" if they failed to reach a deal.
Ahead of the Moscow talks, Witkoff said months of negotiations had narrowed down to a single issue, without specifying what it was. Territorial disputes, highlighted by Ushakov, remain a major obstacle.
Russia has demanded that Ukraine surrender territory it controls in the eastern Donetsk region, a demand Zelenskiy has rejected. Moscow has also insisted that Ukraine abandon its ambition to join NATO and ruled out any NATO troop presence on Ukrainian soil after a peace deal.
Zelenskiy said after meeting Trump in Switzerland on Thursday that security guarantees for Ukraine had been finalised, but acknowledged that territorial issues remain unresolved.
Ushakov praised the US for organising Friday's meeting in Abu Dhabi, saying Washington hopes the talks will open the door to broader progress toward ending the conflict and reaching a peace agreement
