Umerov reported that "the negotiation process has begun in a trilateral format — Ukraine, the USA, and Russia. After this, work is planned in specialized groups, and then a repeated joint synchronization of positions will be conducted."
This information was also confirmed by a source from the Russian state agency TASS.
According to a participant in the negotiations, "the meeting can be considered as having started, there will be different formats and tracks. The press is not present at the event."
The Russian delegation is headed by Igor Kostyukov, the chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. The USA is represented by special envoy of Donald Trump, Stephen Witkoff, and the son-in-law of the US president, Jared Kushner. The Ukrainian side includes, among others, the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Rustem Umerov, and the head of the president's office, Kirill Budanov.
The first round of trilateral negotiations took place in a closed format in Abu Dhabi on January 23-24. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted in his speech to Congress on January 28 that the unresolved issue in the preparation of the peace plan is the territorial question. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky added that resolving issues related to territories is only possible in the case of his personal meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
