Zelenskyy Says Jan. 23 Abu Dhabi Talks With U.S. and Russia Were Constructive

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Jan. 23 two-day trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and Russian military representatives concluded 'constructive' and parties will report to their capitals.

U.S. officials said the Jan. 23 talks were the first known instance of Trump administration envoys meeting both sides after Zelenskyy said Jan. 22 in Davos a deal was 'nearly ready,' though territorial issues remain.

Kyiv officials said Russian drone attacks during the talks killed one and wounded four in Kyiv, and wounded 27 in Kharkiv, according to Kyiv City Military Administration head Tymur Tkachenko and Kharkiv head Oleh Syniehubov.

Ukrainian officials said Russia occupies about 20% of Ukraine and fighting along roughly a 1,000-kilometer front has damaged energy infrastructure, prompting rolling blackouts and electricity rationing to protect hospitals and critical services.

Zelenskyy wrote that parties agreed to report to their capitals, that military representatives identified issues for a possible follow-up meeting as soon as next week, and that U.S. monitoring and control would be needed.