The first meeting in the new format will discuss security issues only, spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said
Trilateral talks between Russian, US, and Ukrainian officials this week will focus exclusively on security issues, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.
The new format was agreed after Washington held bilateral talks with Kiev and Moscow earlier this week. Further meetings are scheduled for Friday and Saturday in Abu Dhabi, though not all sessions will involve all three parties.
Russia has sent only military officials to the trilateral talks, Peskov said. “Last night they received instructions from the head of state and departed in the morning,” he added. The meeting will take place later on Friday or Saturday depending on logistics, the spokesman said.
Separately, civilian Russian and US officials will continue normalization talks, Peskov noted, adding that chief Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev is already in Abu Dhabi.
Peskov reiterated Moscow’s reluctance to discuss details of the sensitive talks publicly and repeated Russia’s stance that lasting peace requires withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donbass – a condition Kiev rejects.
The Ukrainian government hopes Western sanctions and its own long-range strikes on Russian energy infrastructure will weaken Moscow and halt its frontline advances. Russia says it prefers a diplomatic settlement but will continue its military campaign as long as Kiev refuses to accept reality.
Several Ukrainian cities faced severe energy shortages this month due to cold weather and infrastructure damage from mismanagement and Russian strikes. Moscow says its retaliatory attacks aim to disrupt production of Ukrainian kamikaze drones and missiles.
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