The Kremlin said on Monday that the issue of territory remained fundamental to Russia when seeking a deal to end the fighting in Ukraine, TASS reported after the weekend talks in Abu Dhabi.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly said Russia will take all of Ukraine’s Donbas region unless Kyiv agrees to cede it in a settlement.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated the position, saying “the territorial issue, which is part of the Anchorage formula, is of fundamental importance to the Russian side.”
He added: “It’s no secret that this is our consistent position, the position of our president.”
The Anchorage formula refers to what Russia says was agreed between U.S. President Donald Trump and Putin during a summit in Alaska last August.
A source close to the Kremlin has said the understanding envisages Ukraine handing Russia full control of Donbas and freezing the front lines elsewhere in the east and south as part of any future agreement.
Kyiv has consistently rejected any settlement involving territorial concessions, saying it will not give Russia territory it has failed to capture by force.
Peskov said Moscow viewed the opening exchanges in Abu Dhabi as constructive but warned against expecting quick progress. “It would be a mistake to expect any significant results,” he said.
“This is a very complex matter, with complex issues on the agenda.” He noted that the talks remain at an expert level and are still in their initial stages.
He confirmed that trilateral contacts will continue next week, though a specific date has not yet been finalised.
Peskov said no phone call between Putin and Trump is currently scheduled but noted that high-level contacts can be arranged rapidly if needed.
On regional developments, he warned that a U.S. strike on Iran “would seriously destabilise the Middle East” and called for restraint.
Peskov also said Russia remains in “constant contact” with Venezuela on ongoing projects and investments, while describing reports of a potential U.S. blockade of Cuba as “alarming.”
Ukraine has maintained that no settlement can involve giving up territory, a position it repeated after the Abu Dhabi talks.
Kyiv stressed that it will not transfer land Russia has failed to seize by force, a stance underscored in public statements on 25 January.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s territorial integrity remains non-negotiable and noted that any future framework must respect the country’s internationally recognised borders.
He added that concessions on land would undermine the entire basis of a durable agreement.
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