Ukraine’s chief negotiator Rustem Umerov said on Wednesday that renewed talks in Abu Dhabi on ending Russia’s war in Ukraine were “meaningful and productive” and said they aimed at “concrete steps and practical solutions.”
However, in a Facebook post, he did not elaborate on the trilateral talks brokered by the United States. After the trilateral meeting, the working groups continued negotiations.
Several media outlets quoted Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council as saying that negotiations would continue on Thursday.
Umerov mentioned possible further prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine.
He announced on Ukrainian television that the Kiev delegation would also discuss security guarantees and reconstruction agreements with the United States.
Two days of talks are ongoing even as Moscow has resumed attacks on its neighbor’s energy infrastructure, with Ukrainian authorities reporting nighttime attacks in multiple areas over the past two days.
The bombings again left millions without power and heat during the cold winter months and disrupted ongoing network repairs.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Moscow of violating a limited U.S.-brokered ceasefire and demanded a response from Washington.
The first round of trilateral talks was held in mid-January, while a follow-up meeting originally scheduled for last Sunday was postponed at short notice.
Russian state news agency TASS reported that an agreement could be reached during the latest talks in Abu Dhabi that would see Ukraine not join NATO, according to sources close to the Moscow delegation. The TASS news agency based this statement on sources close to the Moscow delegation.
Kyiv has yet to comment on the matter.
