The negotiations held in Istanbul and the current sessions in Abu Dhabi on Ukraine are fundamentally different in nature, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said during a briefing with reporters.
"These are different in their character," the Kremlin representative pointed out, distinguishing the current diplomatic track from previous attempts.
A History of Diplomatic Contacts: Istanbul vs. Abu Dhabi
In 2022, initial negotiations between Russia and Ukraine took place first in Belarus across three rounds, before moving to the Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul on March 29, 2022. Those talks actually led to a preliminary agreement, which included Ukraine’s commitment to a neutral, non-aligned status. However, those arrangements ultimately fell through, with Moscow citing interference from Kyiv and its Western allies.
After a three-year hiatus, direct talks resumed on May 16, 2025, at the initiative of President Vladimir Putin. This phase consisted of three rounds— May 16, June 2, and July 23. While these meetings yielded progress on humanitarian issues, including the largest prisoner exchange since the conflict began, they failed to produce a breakthrough on the core political and security disputes.
The current diplomatic landscape shifted in late December, when the presidents of Russia and the United States agreed to establish specialized working groups focused on security and economic issues. By January 22, 2026, it was decided that a trilateral working group involving Russia, the US, and Ukraine would convene in the UAE capital.
The first two days of security consultations took place in Abu Dhabi on January 23 and 24. These high-level contacts are expected to resume in the same location on February 1.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS