Second day of Abu Dhabi peace talks ends inside two hours as US envoys head to Moscow

Russian and Ukrainian negotiators ended the second day of peace talks in Abu Dhabi in under two hours¹. The trilateral talks, aimed at ending Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, are the first since February¹. They followed nearly four hours of US-mediated talks on the first day, with Washington represented by Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, and envoy Steve Witkoff^3,5.

Despite public optimism from Trump, there has been no sign of major compromises or that new issues are being discussed². Witkoff and Kushner brought the warring sides together for several hours of talks across the two days⁷.

What comes next

Kushner told reporters that the United States will seek Russian President Putin’s “blessing” for Europe to join the talks⁴. The envoys are expected to meet Putin in Moscow after the Abu Dhabi round⁷.

Reports differ on where the envoys will see Ukraine’s president. One account says Witkoff and Kushner may travel to both Kyiv and Moscow to hold direct discussions with Zelenskyy and Putin⁶, while another says they will meet Zelensky in Dublin⁷.

Witkoff said security guarantees for Ukraine were discussed in Abu Dhabi⁸.

Why it matters to investors

The talks are the first direct trilateral contact in months, and the short second session shows how far apart the sides remain^1,2. The proposal to bring European governments into the talks depends on Putin’s consent, according to Kushner⁴, which gives Moscow a say over who sits at the table.

Witkoff’s account puts security guarantees on the agenda⁸. Without concessions from either side, though, the gap between Trump’s public optimism and the state of the talks remains². The first day’s session lasted nearly four hours, while the second ended inside two^1,3.

What to watch

The next markers are the envoys’ meeting with Putin in Moscow⁷, their contact with Zelensky^6,7, and whether Putin agrees to European participation⁴. Any sign that new issues have entered the talks, or that either side has moved on a major point, would mark a change from the Abu Dhabi round². So far, the US mediators have kept the process going through direct contact with both capitals^5,6.