Abu Dhabi:Moscow Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky announced that Moscow and Kyiv have moved closer to reaching a peace agreement following trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi. However, he emphasized that much of the outcome would depend on Ukraine and the United States.

According to Anadolu Agency – English, Medinsky, who led Russia's delegation in Abu Dhabi, expressed optimism about the progress towards peace. He stated that while the sides seemed closer to an agreement, the final outcome relied heavily on all participants, particularly Ukraine and the U.S.

Medinsky clarified that Moscow would consider the negotiations successful only if they resulted in victory and a peace agreement on Russia's terms. He ruled out any territorial exchanges with Ukraine and noted that a "security zone" along Russia's borders was expanding as part of its ongoing "special military operation" in Ukraine.

In a separate statement, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov described the talks as "substantive" and "quite useful." He mentioned that Russian President Vladimir Putin was scheduled to meet with U.S. presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on Thursday, following two days of U.S.-mediated peace negotiations. Ushakov also noted that discussions with European representatives would be considered based on the outcomes of the Abu Dhabi talks.

Additionally, Kushner remarked that the Moscow visit aimed to review the Abu Dhabi discussions, highlighting potential openings and opportunities. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to meet with Witkoff and Kushner in Dublin on Thursday after their talks in Russia. These developments follow the first direct three-way peace talks since February's Geneva discussions.