Three-way talks open as Russia demands Donbas

Three-way talks between Russia, Ukraine and the US opened in Abu Dhabi, the UAE said on Friday, as Moscow said it was not dropping its demand that Kyiv pull out of its eastern Donbas region.

- Agence France-Presse

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said territory remained the key issue and would be on the agenda for the talks.

They are the first direct public negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv on a plan being pushed by the US President Donald Trump to end the almost four-year-long war.

“The talks commenced today in Abu Dhabi and are scheduled to continue over two days, as part of ongoing efforts to promote dialogue and identify political solutions to the crisis,” the UAE foreign ministry said in a statement.