Russia and Ukraine concluded the first day of the second round of U.S.-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday. In a routine video address on the day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had received a briefing from the Ukrainian delegation, and discussed the interim results of the day's negotiations with the negotiating team.
The negotiations, conducted in a trilateral format involving Ukraine, the United States, and Russia, will continue on Thursday, according to Zelensky.
Ukraine's position on effectively ending the conflict is very clear, the president said, adding that Ukraine's partners should achieve this goal through solid security guarantees and by putting pressure on Russia.
Rustem Umerov, secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council and a member of the Ukrainian delegation, said the negotiations on Wednesday were "substantive and productive." The talks focused on concrete steps and practical solutions, Umerov said in a social media post.
The Ukrainian official stressed that the delegation was working to "achieve a dignified and lasting peace."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a press conference in Moscow on Wednesday that the door to a peaceful settlement of the situation in Ukraine remains open, but Russia will continue the special military operation until "appropriate decisions are taken by Kiev."
He added that Russian forces are striking targets considered to be associated with Ukraine's military-industrial complex.
The spokesman said Russia won't issue any statement about outcomes of the trilateral talks, as the country's position on Ukraine is clear and well understood by both the authorities in Kiev and U.S. negotiators involved in the trilateral contacts.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that great progress has been made on negotiations over the past year, but a breakthrough in the talks may not come for a while as the items that remain are the most difficult ones.
The second round of talks is scheduled to run for two days. The previous meeting of the trilateral working group on security issues took place from Jan. 23 to 24 in Abu Dhabi. It marked the first trilateral engagement since the escalation of the conflict in February 2022, although no concrete agreement or joint statement was announced afterward.
Russia, Ukraine conclude first day of U.S.-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi
The World Governments Summit 2026 opened in Dubai of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday, drawing a record number of world leaders, government ministers, and key policymakers to discuss issues surrounding global governance at a time of significant geopolitical turmoil.
The three-day summit has brought together more than 60 heads of state and government and their deputies, as well as over 500 ministers, and representatives from more than 150 nations, according to organizers, making this the largest ever gathering since the event's inception back in 2013.
Held under the theme "Shaping Future Governments," attendees will conduct in-depth discussions around five core topics -- global governance and effective leadership, societal wellbeing and capacity building, economic prosperity and emerging opportunities, urban futures and evolving demographics and future realities and next frontiers.
More than 6,000 participants are taking part in the event, which focuses on future governance, international cooperation, trade, and climate change. Organizers say the agenda has been designed to address pressing global economic, technological, and social challenges.
A primary focus within the broader field of economic governance remains the resilience and management of global supply chains, which have already faced disruption over the last year in the wake of U.S. tariffs and other challenges.
John Denton, Secretary General of the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce, praised China's efforts in maintaining the stability of global supply chains amid these difficulties. He said he frequently attends the China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing, the world's first state-level expo dedicated to global supply chains.
"I participate on an annual basis in the supply chain conference in China, and one of the points we always make there is that if you want that supply chain to function properly you need to ensure that it's resilient. And increasingly, what we are trying to help is encouraging access on the basis that there will be sustainable supply chains, so that there will be investment in green supply chains, etc. And that's actually important for developing and emerging economies, their ability to participate that in that as well. And I see an openness in China to engage in that discussion, and I see evidence of that happening on the ground as well," said Denton.
The Dubai summit also features 24 global forums, and is hosting multiple thematic discussions covering areas such as global trade and logistics, artificial intelligence and future technologies.
Organizers also note the event will feature dozens of high-level ministerial meetings and the release of a series of research reports developed in coordination with international partners.
World Governments Summit opens in Dubai with record int'l participation
