Kremlin negotiator Kirill Dmitriev has returned to the United States ahead of another round of Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
“Back in Miami,” Dmitriev wrote on Instagram on Saturday, ending his post with a peace dove emoji. He did not provide further details.
In previous meetings, Dmitriev had negotiated with US envoy Steve Vitkov.
Talks in Abu Dhabi resumed over the weekend after a long hiatus to explore the possibility of ending the war. No peace treaty has been agreed upon, although both warring sides said discussions were constructive.
A key sticking point remains Russia’s demand that Kiev withdraw its troops from parts of eastern Ukraine’s Donbass region, which is mainly concentrated in the Donetsk and Luhansk provinces.
Moscow claims the entire Donetsk province and controls nearly 80% of it. Kyiv has so far refused to withdraw its troops voluntarily. The neighboring province of Luhansk is almost entirely controlled by Russian forces.
At the request of U.S. President Donald Trump, Russia agreed to temporarily halt attacks on energy infrastructure, citing extremely cold weather and widespread damage in Kiev and other cities. Strikes against other targets continued.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that the limited ceasefire would only last until Sunday and was intended to provide a “good basis” for peace talks.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said no formal agreement on a ceasefire had been reached but pledged that Ukraine would not attack Russian energy targets if Russia abides by its statements.
For nearly four years, Ukraine, with Western support, has been fending off a full-scale Russian invasion.