Russia, US agree to resume military-to-military dialogue as 2nd day of Ukraine peace talks ends
Ukrainian, U.S., and Russian delegations concluded the second day of negotiations in Abu Dhabi on Feb. 5, a spokesperson for National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov said.
Umerov describes the two-day talks as "constructive," with the delegations discussing ways to implement a ceasefire and monitor the halt in hostilities. Kyiv has consistently pushed for an unconditional ceasefire, while Moscow has rejected this proposal.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the next trilateral meeting will take place "in the near future."
"They discussed everything (during the negotiations). The delegation believes the information is very sensitive, so they want to come (to Ukraine) to share the details," Zelensky told reporters in Kyiv.
"If the next meeting is agreed upon, there is a chance to continue the dialogue, which we certainly hope will lead to the end of the war."
The first day of trilateral negotiations concluded on Feb. 4. Kyiv and Moscow agreed on an upcoming prisoner of war (POW) exchange, the Ukrainian president said, calling it a "significant" result.
The first prisoner exchange in five months between Kyiv and Moscow took place on Feb. 5, with 150 soldiers and seven civilians freed from Russian captivity.
After the second day of peace talks, U.S. European Command announced that Washington and Moscow had agreed in Abu Dhabi to resume high-level military-to-military dialogue between the two countries.
This channel of communication was suspended in the fall of 2021, months before Russia launched its all-out war against Ukraine.
"The reestablishment follows meetings in the United Arab Emirates' capital between Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich, Commander of U.S. European Command, and senior Russian and Ukrainian military officials," the statement read.
After a short pause in strikes on Kyiv at the request of U.S. President Donald Trump, Moscow has resumed attacks aimed at knocking out the country's power grid as residents continue to contend with freezing temperatures.
Before a new meeting, Russia launched another attack on Ukraine overnight on Feb. 5. At least two people were injured in Kyiv.
While the discussion was expected to focus on the two thorniest unresolved issues — the status of the Donbas region and post-war security guarantees for Ukraine — the re-escalation of Russian strikes led many to question the Kremlin's seriousness about peace talks.
Zelensky said Ukrainian delegates will adjust their negotiating position in response to the ongoing strikes.
The U.S. side is represented by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's advisor and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who participated in the previous round of talks in Abu Dhabi on Jan. 23-24.
The Ukrainian delegation is led by Umerov and Kyrylo Budanov, a former spy chief who now serves as Zelensky's chief of staff.
