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Russia remains open to further dialogue with Ukraine in Istanbul after Abu Dhabi talks, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday, the RIA state news agency reported.
Russia and Ukraine held a second day of U.S.-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi on Saturday seeking a resolution to the war.
A UAE government spokesperson said the talks focused on the “outstanding elements” of the U.S.-proposed peace framework.
The spokesperson said the talks included “direct engagement” between officials from both countries and were held in a “constructive and positive atmosphere”.
The talks in Abu Dhabi are the first official meetings between the two warring parties for several months.
The sides last met in Istanbul in May 2025 when diplomatic delegations from both countries met under Turkish mediation as part of efforts to restart peace negotiations after a three-year hiatus. The talks included direct discussions on a prisoner exchange and other confidence-building measures, marking the first face-to-face peace talks in Istanbul since 2022.
The United States has for months been leading efforts to get Russia and Ukraine to reach a peaceful resolution to the war, but the two sides still have conflicting positions as the fifth year of the conflict nears.
At the core of the talks is whether Ukraine will agree to Russia’s condition for a ceasefire and withdraw from the part of Donbass that is still under Kiev’s control.
The Donbass is an area in eastern Ukraine that is primarily centred on the provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk in the country’s traditional coal-mining region.
Moscow is further insisting that Kiev renounce any future NATO membership. If there is no diplomatic solution, Russia will achieve its goal by military means, Moscow has said.
The second day of talks comes after Russia launched a massive wave of overnight attacks on Kiev and other Ukrainian cities, killing at least one person and injuring dozens.
