A new round of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, which began in the Emirati capital, Abu Dhabi, under US mediation a day earlier, resumed Wednesday.
Citing sources, Russian media outlets, including state news agency Tass, reported the start of the second day of trilateral negotiations, which follow a first day of talks which Russian media reports said lasted about 4 1/2 hours in total. The outlet separately reported that the Russian delegation is scheduled to make a press statement in the afternoon following the trilateral talks.
Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service, also confirmed the resumption of the negotiations, adding in a statement on Telegram that a separate meeting with European representatives will take place after the trilateral talks.
The latest talks in Abu Dhabi are the first to take place since trilateral negotiations were held in Geneva, Switzerland, in February, preceded by two other rounds of negotiations-in January and February-also hosted in the Emirati capital.
Russia's delegation in the United Arab Emirates is being led by presidential envoy Vladimir Medinsky and includes other key officials, including Deputy Foreign Ministers Mikhail Galuzin and Sergey Ryabkov, the latter of whom told the Vesti news outlet after the first day of trilateral talks that it was premature to assess the results of the negotiations.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's delegation is being led by Umerov, and includes Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office, among others.
On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the trilateral talks as "constructive and quite substantive," stating that the talks had discussed security guarantees for Ukraine in detail, including arrangements to ensure their long-term effectiveness.
"Real tools are needed to block any recurrence of the war. The need for de-escalation steps was also touched upon," Zelenskyy wrote on US social media company X, adding that the sides also discussed possible humanitarian measures and stressing the release of prisoners as a "priority."
Meanwhile, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner are participating in the talks on behalf of Washington, with the latter expressing optimism following the first day of talks.
"We are encouraged by the constructive discussions today," Kushner wrote on X, emphasizing that American negotiators are acting under direct executive guidance.
Separately, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio characterized Tuesday's negotiations as "very productive," telling reporters in France that their diplomatic efforts aim to establish durable security arrangements.
The trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi were also preceded by a meeting between the American and Ukrainian sides, which also involved representatives of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, NATO and the European Commission.
