New round of Russia-US-Ukraine trilateral talks begins in Abu Dhabi

ABU DHABI -- A new round of trilateral talks involving Russia, the United States and Ukraine began Tuesday in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

The talks are the first trilateral meeting among the three countries since February.

The Russian delegation is headed by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky and includes Deputy Foreign Ministers Sergei Ryabkov and Mikhail Galuzin, as well as military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov, among other officials.

The US delegation includes special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

According to Interfax-Ukraine, citing Ukrainian presidential communications adviser Dmytro Lytvyn on Monday, the Ukrainian delegation includes Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service, and Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Presidential Office, along with other officials.

According to German press agency dpa, Umerov said the latest round of talks aimed to achieve lasting peace, while Medinsky said ending the war was in the interests of both the Ukrainian and Russian people.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian delegation met with representatives from Europe, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and the European Union (EU), as well as US envoys, ahead of the trilateral talks.