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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday he was encouraged by a change in the approach of U.S. mediators during peace negotiations with Russia in Abu Dhabi, while stressing that any agreement must include security guarantees for Ukraine.
"I see changes. I'm very happy with what I hear," Zelenskyy said in Copenhagen when asked about the approach taken by U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff.
His remarks came as representatives from Ukraine, Russia and the United States concluded the first day of negotiations in the United Arab Emirates, with discussions scheduled to resume Wednesday.
The talks mark the first formal round of trilateral negotiations since February, when discussions stalled as Washington became increasingly focused on its war with Iran.
Zelenskyy described Tuesday's discussions as "constructive and quite substantive," saying his delegation had reported progress on humanitarian issues and security guarantees.
Kushner also expressed optimism following the opening session.
"We are encouraged by the constructive discussions today," he wrote on X.
The U.S. envoy said Washington was working to end the war and establish security guarantees necessary for a "sovereign, secure, and prosperous Ukraine and lasting peace across Europe.”
Tuesday's negotiations lasted approximately four and a half hours, according to Russian media reports.
Ukraine's delegation was led by chief negotiator Rustem Umerov, while Russian presidential envoy Vladimir Medinsky headed Moscow's team.
Kushner and Witkoff represented Washington in the discussions.
A source in the Russian delegation said Wednesday's negotiations would begin at noon local time (08:00 a.m. GMT).
Kushner told participants that the United States had "narrowed the gaps" between the two sides, although he provided no details about specific areas of progress.
He expressed hope that the negotiations could move toward a "solution" to the conflict.
Zelenskyy said the delegations were also working toward a "large-scale exchange of prisoners," adding that U.S. representatives would travel to Russia for further discussions on the issue.
Umerov reiterated that Kyiv's priorities remained securing a ceasefire and obtaining credible security guarantees.
"Our people are waiting to end this war," he said.
The negotiations extend beyond the immediate question of ending the war, with Washington seeking broader arrangements governing European security.
Kushner said the United States hoped to "create a new framework" of security involving Ukraine, Russia and Europe that could secure "decades, if not centuries, of peace."
Speaking in Paris, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the discussions as "very productive" and called for European countries to eventually join the negotiations "because they are part of solving this problem."
The proposed framework has raised concerns among European governments over the possibility of Washington negotiating changes to the continent's security arrangements with Moscow.
Before launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia demanded that NATO withdraw its forces from eastern Europe, a proposal rejected by the alliance.
Moscow has renewed its interest in discussing the broader European security architecture alongside negotiations over Ukraine.
A source in the Russian delegation said resolving the war was "merely one item on the agenda," describing Moscow's principal objective as reviewing security arrangements "for the entire continent."
Russia also included senior diplomat Sergei Ryabkov, who was involved in presenting Moscow's pre-invasion security demands to Western governments, in its delegation.
Ukraine, meanwhile, has warned against a "Yalta 2.0," referring to a potential agreement between major powers over Europe's future without sufficient involvement from affected countries.
"Putin wants the USSR back," Zelenskyy told Danish media.
The European Union has maintained that broader security arrangements should be discussed only after a ceasefire is established.
Ahead of the negotiations, Umerov met U.S. envoys and representatives from European governments, the European Union and NATO.
Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Europe, is also participating in the talks.
In a joint statement, European representatives, Ukraine, the United States and NATO reaffirmed their "shared commitment to a strong post-war European security architecture."
Ukraine has continued to press for security guarantees and sustained military assistance to prevent future Russian attacks.
A senior Ukrainian source told AFP that Kyiv was seeking at least 10 years of financial support to maintain an 800,000-member military capable of defending the country after the war.
Ukrainian and French foreign ministers also welcomed U.S. efforts to negotiate "partial truces" as a "first step toward a complete and unconditional ceasefire."
Territorial disputes remain another major obstacle.
Before the negotiations, U.S. President Donald Trump suggested that Ukraine might have to relinquish territory as part of a settlement.
"They're going to end up with a little bit different shape," Trump said.
Russia continues to demand that Ukraine surrender the parts of the eastern Donetsk region still under Kyiv's control, despite Moscow's forces having failed to capture the entire region.
Military operations continued as the delegations met in Abu Dhabi.
The governor of Russia's Leningrad region, Aleksandr Drozdenko, said a Ukrainian drone attack overnight caused a fire at Ust-Luga, a major Russian oil export port on the Baltic Sea.
Drozdenko said Wednesday that three workers had been wounded and claimed Russian air defenses had intercepted 150 drones across the region overnight.
Russia has also continued attacking Ukraine's energy infrastructure, raising concerns over electricity, heating and water supplies as winter approaches.
The Abu Dhabi negotiations follow three previous rounds of U.S.-mediated talks this year, with the first two held in the Emirati capital in January and February and the third in Geneva later in February.
The renewed diplomatic effort comes as Washington seeks progress toward a settlement while Kyiv emphasizes that any agreement must provide lasting security guarantees and preserve Ukraine's sovereignty.
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