Kremlin says Ukraine–Russia–U.S. talks reset for 4–5 February as negotiations remain complex

The Kremlin has confirmed that the next round of trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States will be held in Abu Dhabi on 4–5 February, after the meeting was postponed last week to align the schedules of all delegations.

Speaking at a press briefing on Monday in Moscow, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the second round of discussions, originally planned for 1 February, was postponed to “adjust the schedules of all participants” but will now take place on Wednesday and Thursday. He described the negotiation process as “complex” and “multidirectional”, noting that while some issues have seen progress, others remain far harder to resolve.

Peskov avoided giving any measure of progress, saying only that common ground had been found on certain points, while other areas still lacked “rapprochement”. He also declined to clarify the current status of the informal “energy truce”, reiterating that Moscow had already agreed to a request from Donald Trump not to strike Ukraine’s energy infrastructure to support conditions for the talks.

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Sunday that the Abu Dhabi sessions had been rescheduled for 4–5 February, describing the first round in January as constructive.

Peskov again said Russia remains open to dialogue, repeating the Kremlin’s longstanding position that any meeting between Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin would have to take place in Moscow. He said work by the negotiating groups was continuing and welcomed efforts to maintain momentum.

Rising tensions 

He also confirmed that Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev’s recent visit to Miami was linked to economic discussions with the United States, noting that Dmitriev chairs the working group on bilateral economic interaction.

Commenting on rising tensions between Washington and Tehran, Peskov said Moscow was continuing its contacts with all sides and stood ready to help reduce the risk of escalation.

On France, Peskov called the idea of establishing a dedicated communication channel with Moscow “sound”, but said there was still no clarity on possible contact between the two leaders.

Asked whether Russia was in talks with the United States and Iran over transferring enriched uranium from Iran to Russian territory, he said the issue had been on the agenda for years, and consultations with all parties were ongoing.

Copied