'Moscow must end war,' reiterates Zelenskyy during Ukraine-US-Russia talks

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday reiterated that Moscow bears the responsibility to end the ongoing war in Europe as Ukraine Russia and the United States US convened trilateral talks in the United Arab Emiratesmdashan initial step in diplomatic engagement news agency ANI reportedThese talks in Abu Dhabi marked the first time all three sides met since the conflict began nearly four years agoReacting to the discussions Zelenskyy underscored Kyivrsquos longstanding position stating ldquoRussia must end the war it started our position is clearrdquoWhile describing the talks as an initial step he urged caution in drawing early conclusions ANI reportedThe negotiations come amid continued hostilities Ukrainian authorities reported that Kyiv faced a largescale Russian drone and ballistic missile attack early Saturday prompting the activation of air defence systems across the capitalUS officials termed the opening round ldquoproductiverdquo and said discussions were expected to continue through Saturday ANI reported Zelenskyy however said it was too early to judge the outcomeZelenskyy cautious as talks begin flags deep differences with MoscowIn a post on X late Friday he noted that Ukrainersquos delegation was briefing him hourly but emphasised that it was ldquotoo early to assess the substancerdquo of the talksReiterating his stance Zelenskyy said ldquoThe main thing is that Russia must be ready to end this war which it itself startedrdquo adding that clear instructions had been issued to Ukrainersquos negotiating team ldquoWe will see how the conversation develops and what results it producesrdquoThe Abu Dhabi talks follow a meeting earlier this week in Moscow between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US envoys described by the Kremlin as ldquousefulrdquoDespite renewed diplomatic engagement major disagreements remain particularly over territorial issues Russia has demanded that Ukraine withdraw from areas it still controls in Donetsk a condition Kyiv has consistently rejectedZelenskyy has said that a USbacked 20point peace framework is nearing finalisation though the future status of the Donbas region remains unresolved He has also proposed a reciprocal troop withdrawal of up to 40 kilometres to establish a demilitarised free economic zone contingent on similar steps by Russia and linked to longterm security guarantees for UkraineUkrainersquos delegation in Abu Dhabi is led by National Security and Defence Council chief Rustem Umerov with senior officials including Kyrylo Budanov and negotiator David Arakhamia Chief of the General Staff Andrii Hnatov is also part of the teamRussiarsquos delegation is headed by GRU director Igor Kostyukov while investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev is holding separate economic discussions with US envoy Steve Witkoff The US delegation also includes President Donald Trumprsquos soninlaw Jared KushnerKremlin aide Yuri Ushakov described the talks with US officials as ldquosubstantive and frankrdquo while asserting that a lasting peace would require resolution of territorial disputes Until then he said Russia would continue what it calls its ldquospecial military operationrdquoMeanwhile fighting continues on the ground with both sides reporting drone attacks in recent days These include strikes on a Russian oil depot in the Penza region and multiple locations within Ukraine Russian attacks on energy infrastructure have left parts of Ukraine facing harsh winter conditions without reliable heating or electricityZelenskyy has also remained engaged with Western allies Speaking about his meeting with President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos he described the interaction as ldquovery positiverdquo and said both sides reached an understanding on prospective US security guarantees for Ukraine subject to approval by the US Congress and Ukrainersquos parliamentWith ANI inputs