Briefly — why this matters
President Volodymyr Zelensky held a conversation with the negotiating group that has already arrived in Abu Dhabi to take part in the trilateral Ukraine–USA–Russia dialogue. The conversation concerned the frameworks of the talks, the topics and the desired outcomes — that is, what will determine the agenda during the two-day meeting.
What the representatives said
"Before the start of the negotiations we discussed the issues. I spoke with the head of the delegation Rustem Umerov, the whole group was on loudspeaker – we spoke with everyone, everyone understands what to do. We discussed the frameworks of the talks, the topics and the desired outcomes."
— Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine
The president's team is in constant contact with the delegation. According to official statements, the format may change depending on how the dialogue proceeds — the Ukrainian side is preparing to respond on the ground.
"These are talks involving non-formal participants."
— Dmytro Lytvyn, adviser to the president on communications
Format and external signals
On 22 January Zelensky said the meeting in Abu Dhabi will last two days and will take place at the technical level. The same day, US special representative Vitkoff noted that the peace plan had been reduced to one question, but did not provide specifics. Sky News earlier reported that negotiations had supposedly already started; the president's press service clarified that parts of the teams had indeed arrived and are conducting negotiations on the agenda, but this should not be equated with full-scale political consultations.
What this means for Ukraine
First, attention is focused on the Donbas — this is the issue Zelensky called key for the trilateral meeting. Second, the preparatory arrangements show the Ukrainian side's desire to shape the agenda, not just react to others' initiatives.
Analysts point out: the technical format provides space to test possible procedures and agreements without political commitments at the highest level. For Ukraine, it's an opportunity to trial mechanisms for monitoring and documenting agreements that can then be turned into concrete steps on the diplomatic and operational fronts.
Summary
Zelensky's conversation with the delegation is not a ritual. It is a preparatory element that will determine how effective the meeting in Abu Dhabi itself will be. Now the key question: will the technical-level agreements turn into signed decisions with security guarantees for Ukraine?
