Russia will continue its talks with the United States and Ukraine next week, but no exact date is set yet, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.
Referring to the recent trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates, Peskov noted that amicable relations during the Ukraine negotiations are hardly feasible, but efforts must be made to secure tangible outcomes from the talks.
In expert-level talks, all parties must act constructively toward one another to seek progress, he said, adding that it would be a mistake to expect significant progress from the first trilateral consultations on the Ukraine settlement, as serious work lies ahead.
He also stressed that individual provisions of the Ukraine negotiation process should not be discussed. "Negotiations are currently underway at the expert level, led by a working group. Talks in this direct format are in the initial stage. It would be inappropriate to speak about individual provisions of the issues on the agenda at this time."
On the same day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the next trilateral meeting between delegations from Ukraine, the United States and Russia could take place on Feb 1.
Representatives of Ukraine, the United States and Russia held their first trilateral meeting since the start of the Ukraine crisis on Friday and Saturday in Abu Dhabi. On Saturday, Russia and Ukraine held direct engagement during trilateral talks. No concrete agreement or joint statement was announced following the two-day talks.
Russia says talks with U.S., Ukraine to continue next week
Iraq has seen its aviation industry dealt a huge blow because of continued airspace closures and flight suspensions amid regional hostilities triggered by the recent Israeli-U.S. strikes on Iran.
As security concerns persist while tensions remain high, Iraq announced on Friday it would extend the closure of its airspace for one more week as uncertainty over the conflict continues to hang in the air.
It is estimated that the country's aviation industry has lost more than 43 million U.S. dollars over the past month since the crisis erupted, with the war causing huge disruption to air travel across the region.
"After the closure of Iraqi airspace, airport operations were halted, and revenue from both arriving and departing flights was lost. This includes income from passenger services as well as overflying aircraft, which has significantly impacted overall revenues," said Maytham al-Safi, director of media office of the Iraqi Ministry of Transport.
The impact is being felt across the board, from government revenues to private businesses, as some of the leading travel agencies say bookings have completely collapsed, with some reporting daily passenger numbers dropping from around 100 to just five.
"Our company has been directly affected. We have four branches and around 80 employees, and the impact has been significant. We still have rent and other expenses to cover, so we are trying to adapt to whatever limited business is still possible," said Ahmed Khalid, managing director of the Safari Trip travel and tourism company in Baghdad.
With air travel no longer an option, many Iraqis are turning to overland routes -- often traveling for hours, even days, to reach neighboring countries like Türkiye. But the journey is not only longer and more expensive, it can also be highly risky.
"This situation creates real anxiety for families. It's not only the travelers who are at risk, but also the vehicles transporting them. These journeys can be dangerous. There is always the risk of accidents or even drone strikes. At the same time, costs have doubled, so people are facing both financial and safety pressures," said Anwar al-Mousawi, a local resident.
For many, a sense of frustration is growing the longer the current situation drags on, as civilians bear the consequences of a conflict they are not part of, and with no clear timeline for reopening Iraqi airspace, economic losses and public frustration are expected to deepen.
"The reality is, we are in a country that is not part of this war and did not start it, yet we are the ones paying the price," said al-Mousawi.
Iraq's aviation industry left grounded as Middle East crisis continues
