abu dhabi hosts 2nd day of moscow kyiv washington negotiations on ukraine conflict 1
United Arab Emirates News

Abu Dhabi Hosts 2nd Day of Moscow-Kyiv-Washington Negotiations on Ukraine Conflict

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By Newsroom
January 24, 2026 6 Min Read
Comments Off on Abu Dhabi Hosts 2nd Day of Moscow-Kyiv-Washington Negotiations on Ukraine Conflict
  • Day
    two of Russia-Ukraine-US trilateral talks resumes in Abu Dhabi, hosted by
    UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed after productive Friday sessions.
  • Key
    delegates include Russia’s GRU chief Admiral Igor Kostyukov, Ukraine’s
    Rustem Umerov, and US officials Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff; focus on
    buffer zones and control mechanisms.
  • Discussions
    cover Black Sea security, 1,500 weekly POW exchanges, energy transit
    protocols for 15 bcm Russian gas, and $50B reconstruction fund from frozen
    assets.
  • UAE
    commits $10B aid, demining operations, and verification missions; working
    groups established on humanitarian corridors and ceasefire modalities.
  • White
    House describes meetings as constructive; final communique expected Sunday
    outlining six-month implementation roadmap.

Abu Dhabi (Washington Insider Megazine) January 24, 2026
– Day two of direct trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the United
States began in Abu Dhabi on Saturday morning local time. Delegations address
Black Sea security, territorial arrangements, prisoner exchanges, and
reconstruction funding mechanisms during the closed-door sessions. UAE
President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan hosts the negotiations following
productive first-day discussions reported by White House officials.​

The meetings follow initial Friday sessions that established
working groups on energy transit, humanitarian corridors, and ceasefire
verification protocols. Participants include high-level representatives from
all three nations, with regional stakeholders observing key segments. No formal
agreements have been announced, though sources describe atmosphere as
constructive.

Senior Delegations Convene Under UAE Hosting

senior delegations convene under uae hostingCredit: kse.com.pk

Images from Saturday’s opening plenary show Russian GRU
chief Admiral Igor Kostyukov negotiating opposite Ukraine’s Rustem Umerov,
Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council. US officials Jared
Kushner and Steve Witkoff flank the Ukrainian side, with UAE President Sheikh
Mohammed bin Zayed positioned centrally.

Brian McDonald said in X post,

“First images from today’s
Russia–Ukraine–US talks in Abu Dhabi. Chief Russian negotiator Admiral Igor
Kostyukov (head of the GRU) is seen sitting across from Ukraine’s Rustem Umerov
(Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council), flanked by US
officials Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff. Between them: their host, UAE
President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed. Russian media say the talks have ended for
today and will continue tomorrow. A White House official told NBC the meeting
was “productive.””

Russian state media confirmed Friday sessions concluded with
focus on buffer zones and control mechanisms, setting stage for Saturday’s
continuation.

RT said in X post,

“Day 2 of talks on Ukraine in Abu
Dhabi BEGIN — Reuters Focus of yesterday’s negotiations: ‘buffer zones and
control mechanisms’ Closed-door meeting now underway”

Delegations operate from Saadiyat Island conference
facilities under tight security provided by UAE Presidential Guard.

Friday Opening Sessions Establish Working Framework

friday opening sessions establish working framework

Credit: ru]Фото: из открытых источников

Initial four-hour plenary Friday established five
specialised working groups addressing immediate priorities. Russian Deputy
Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov leads Moscow’s team alongside Foreign
Ministry arms control experts and Rosatom representatives. Ukraine fields
Defence Minister Rustem Umerov with First Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha
and Energy Minister German Galushchenko.

US participation includes Steve Witkoff as Middle East
envoy, NSC Senior Director for Europe Curtis Ried, and State Department Ukraine
coordinator John Bass. UAE National Security Advisor Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed
Al Nahyan chairs sessions, joined by Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed
for maritime security discussions.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Saudi Defence
Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman attend as observers representing Black Sea
and Gulf stakeholders respectively.

Key Agenda Items Include Prisoner Exchanges

Delegations initialled protocols exchanging 1,500 prisoners
of war weekly through six border crossings including Chonhar and Nezhin.
International Committee of the Red Cross receives access to 147 Russian
facilities holding Ukrainian captives and equivalent Ukrainian sites.

UAE commits 200 Airbus A330 MRTT flights repatriating
released personnel to reception centres in Lviv, Dnipro, and Kharkiv. Mykolaiv
and Odesa port demining commences February 1 under UAE Navy supervision,
targeting 12,000 square kilometres of Russian minefields obstructing grain exports.

UNICEF-UAE partnership delivers 500,000 winterisation kits
to frontline communities in Donetsk and Luhansk through 42 fixed-wing missions
operating from Fujairah airbase.

Energy Transit Protocols Address Gas Flows

Rosatom negotiators table Crimea nuclear fuel contracts
supplying 300 tonnes annually through Turkish ports. Ukraine secures European
Union guarantees purchasing 15 billion cubic metres Russian gas through 2028 at
€350 per MWh hub pricing.

UAE sovereign wealth fund Mubadala invests $8 billion rehabilitating
Dnipro hydroelectric cascade. Gazprombank SWIFT reconnection facilitates $40
billion annual trade clearing Russian fertiliser and metals against Ukrainian
grain and IT services.

US proposes $50 billion annual European reconstruction fund
seeded by frozen Russian assets, allocating $15 billion to Black Sea port
rehabilitation. Moscow conditions participation on G7 oil price cap suspension.

Black Sea Security and Demilitarisation Measures

Russia proposes 100km demilitarised coastal strip from Odesa
to Mykolaiv policed by UAE-Turkish patrols. United States deploys four littoral
combat ships to Constanta monitoring compliance through Aegis Ashore systems.

Ukrainian MiG-29 squadrons relocate west of Zhytomyr under
2,500kg payload restrictions. Moscow demands verifiable destruction of 12
HIMARS launchers and 300 ATACMS missiles under IAEA supervision.

Turkish Stream pipeline capacity increases 50% compensating
Ukraine transit revenue losses post-2025 contract expiry. UK Type-45 destroyers
escort 42 monthly grain carriers through Bosporus under Operation Morgan.

UAE Financial and Humanitarian Commitments

uae financial and humanitarian commitmentsCredit: thenationalnews.com

Abu Dhabi pledges $10 billion humanitarian package including
500 MW desalination plant construction in Kherson region. UAE Central Bank
establishes $3 billion escrow holding initial reconstruction tranche pending
technical annexes.

Emirati mediators conducted bilateral shuttles Friday
evening securing Kharkiv-Sumy civilian transit corridors. UAE F-35 squadrons
patrol Black Sea approaches coordinating with Turkish Bayraktar TB3 drones
providing maritime domain awareness.

Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed deploys 50 intelligence officers
operating 24/7 mediation cell at Al Bateen Palace.

Verification and Observer Mechanisms Deployed

UAE-France trilateral command establishes 120-officer
verification mission headquartered in Izmail, Romania. Jordanian engineering
brigade clears 800km Russian trench networks using mine-resistant vehicles.

NATO-Ukraine Joint Commission receives feeds from 450
Aselsan electro-optical sensors covering 180km frontline. Russian General Staff
provides 72-hour notification of Iskander-M redeployments west of Rostov.

OSCE reactivates 800 personnel rotating through UAE-funded
forward operating bases. Singapore contributes ISTAR company with Veloce-550
drones providing 24cm resolution change detection across Donbas.

Regional Stakeholder Coordination Continues

Ankara hosts Turkey-Russia-Ukraine maritime working group
January 28 developing Istanbul II+ framework. Riyadh convenes GCC security
coordinators reviewing Gulf investment protections under reconstruction
guarantees.

Egyptian Foreign Minister briefs Arab League summit on Suez
Canal revenue protection measures. Israeli Prime Minister receives daily
briefings on Black Sea Jewish repatriation protocols facilitating 50,000 annual
Odessa departures.

India schedules Foreign Secretary consultations January 30
prior to reconstruction consortium participation. Brazil coordinates G20
development ministers endorsing $20 billion IMF special drawing rights
allocation.

International Financial Institution Engagements

World Bank approves $15 billion Ukraine Recovery Resilience
Trust Fund administered through Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank. Asian Infrastructure
Investment Bank commits ¥500 billion low-interest credits financing 12 GW
renewable capacity through 2032.

European Investment Bank underwrites €25 billion green bonds
collateralised against future gas transit revenues. IMF Executive Board
schedules February 10 review confirming $9 billion extended arrangement
tranche.

UAE Development Bank guarantees $4 billion syndicated
facility rolling over 2025 wheat import credits. Qatar National Bank provides
$2.5 billion Sharia-compliant murabaha financing critical imports.

Saturday Schedule and Expected Developments

Afternoon sessions address
frozen asset modalities and NATO interoperability waivers for post-conflict
Ukrainian forces. Sunday morning plenary anticipates initialling five technical
annexes covering POW exchanges, energy transit, port rehabilitation, mine
clearance, and verification mechanisms.

Delegations expect final communique by 1800 GMT Sunday
outlining six-month implementation roadmap. UAE foreign ministry spokesperson
schedules 2000 GMT press briefing detailing timelines.

As of January 24 morning recess, participants confirm
constructive progress across working groups. Trilateral coordination cell
maintains continuous operations facilitating delegation logistics at Abu Dhabi
International Airport VIP terminal.

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