A new round of trilateral Russia-Ukraine peace talks mediated by the US commenced Tuesday in the Emirati capital, Abu Dhabi.
The start of the talks was announced by Russian state media, including state news agency RIA, at 0800GMT.
Russian presidential envoy Vladimir Medinsky is leading Moscow's delegation, while Kyiv is being led by Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service.
The talks are the first to take place since trilateral negotiations were held in Geneva, Switzerland on Feb. 17-18, which were preceded by another two rounds of negotiations -- on Jan. 23-24 and Feb. 4-5 -- hosted in the Emirati capital.
"At the meetings in Abu Dhabi, our team will propose de-escalatory steps," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an evening video address late Monday.
Zelenskyy also highlighted the need for peace, security guarantees and resources for Ukraine's postwar recovery.
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the talks would focus on security guarantees, adding that European representatives would not participate because the negotiations were initially agreed upon as a trilateral format.
"What will take place in Abu Dhabi in the coming days is trilateral negotiations between Russia and Ukraine with US mediation. As for the presence of Europeans, you know that the Americans have their own channels of communication with Europeans, and Ukrainians with Europeans," he told reporters during a Monday press briefing.
However, the European Commission and NATO, along with the UK, France, Italy and Germany, will send representatives to Abu Dhabi, Umerov said.
Separately, ahead of the trilateral talks, Umerov announced holding a meeting with European representatives and US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in a statement on Telegram.
