Three delegations, three rounds, no ceasefire: why the US–Ukraine–Russia talks keep stalling

While the delegations were still in Abu Dhabi, Russia launched its largest aerial attack on Ukraine of the year: more than 370 drones and 21 missiles, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky, CNN reported. Attacks focused on the energy sector, and Ukraine's energy minister said emergency power cuts left more than 800,000 people without electricity.

In the room, the mood was different. US officials said the first trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States since Russia's full-scale invasion had "surpassed expectations", describing them as "very upbeat, very positive, very constructive".

Both things were true at once, and that gap has defined the process ever since. The talks of 23–24 January 2026 opened a channel that had not existed for almost four years of war. They have not yet produced a ceasefire.

Who sat at the table, and what did they discuss?

The US was represented by envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner and Josh Gruenbaum, according to CNN. Russia sent a military team that included a top intelligence official and the head of military intelligence; Ukraine sent senior diplomats and security officials.

"The central focus of the discussions was the possible parameters for ending the war," Zelensky said, adding that US officials suggested formalising those parameters and the security conditions needed to achieve them. He also wrote that he "highly" valued "the understanding of the need for US monitoring and oversight" in ending the war, Ratopati reported, citing the BBC. That report said the talks ended without concrete achievements.

Russia's position was set out in advance. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow wanted a plan that "fully corresponds to the fundamental understandings" reached at the 2025 Alaska summit between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, CNN reported. Territory was widely seen as the main obstacle: Russia occupies about 20% of Ukraine's internationally recognised territory.

What changed in the next rounds?

The second round, again in Abu Dhabi on 4–5 February, moved from "whether" to "how". Witkoff said the delegations discussed methods to implement a ceasefire and monitor the cessation of military activities, and called the talks "constructive and focused on how to create the conditions for a durable peace", Novaya Gazeta Europe reported. Kyrylo Budanov, Zelensky's chief of staff, called them "really constructive". But no tangible progress was announced, and neither side appeared willing to make concessions.

Zelensky said a further round might take place in the United States and that the war must end "in a way that leaves Russia with no reward for its aggression."

A third round followed in Geneva on 17–18 February, CGTN reported. Russia's chief negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, called it "difficult but objective", according to blue News, which reported that Moscow demands Ukraine withdraw its troops from territory it still controls in the east — a demand Zelensky categorically rejects. Bilateral US meetings with each side in Geneva on 26 February ended without announced results. Zelensky said the next trilateral meeting would most likely be held in early March.

It was not. US-led peace efforts largely stalled as Washington's attention shifted to its war with Iran, AFP reported.

Where do the talks stand now?

Witkoff and Kushner met Putin in Moscow on 5 September and Zelensky the following day, Report.az reported. Asked about a new trilateral round, Budanov, now head of the Office of the President, said: "We are preparing. For October."

On 4 October Zelensky said the US was proposing "a meeting at the technical level in a trilateral format by the end of October", and that Ukraine "is ready to support this timeline", according to AFP. The venue was not fixed; Ukraine was open to the United Arab Emirates or another country the US proposes. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had said in September: "We do not rule out such a possibility; we are talking about the foreseeable future."

What we do not know

• How each side measures progress. US officials and Zelensky called the rounds constructive; Moscow says its core demands have not been met. No joint text has been published.
• What a ceasefire would look like. The second round discussed implementation and monitoring, but no agreed mechanism has been announced in the sources we reviewed.
• Whether the October round will happen. As of 18 October 2026, no date or venue had been confirmed in the reporting we opened.

What to watch

The next meeting is planned at a "technical level" — a lower bar than the first rounds. Watch whether it produces something the first three did not: an agreed ceasefire mechanism with monitoring, or at least a date for a leaders' meeting. Russia has meanwhile increased its aerial attacks across Ukraine, AFP reported. For civilians, the measure of any progress will be fewer strikes, not more meetings.

Sources

• CNN, via KVIA — Ukraine reports new deadly Russian air strikes hours after first trilateral talks with US in Abu Dhabi (January 2026)
• Ratopati, citing BBC — Trilateral peace talks between Russia, Ukraine and US conclude in Abu Dhabi without concrete breakthrough (25 January 2026)
• Novaya Gazeta Europe — Zelensky suggests next round of Ukraine-Russia peace talks could be held in United States (6 February 2026)
• blue News — Moscow expects new peace talks soon (22 February 2026)
• CGTN — Ukraine-U.S. talks end without progress, trilateral talks set in March (27 February 2026)
• Report.az — Budanov: Ukraine preparing for trilateral talks with US, Russia in October (12 September 2026)
• AFP, via Deccan Chronicle — Zelensky says US wants to hold talks with Russia, Ukraine by end of October (4 October 2026)