Russia's participation in the peace talks marked its engagement with:

1. ASEAN
2. EU
3. US and Ukraine
4. SCO

Russia’s participation in the January 2026 Abu Dhabi talks represented direct engagement with Ukrainian representatives under American facilitation—a significant diplomatic development after years of minimal high-level contact. While Russia maintained communication channels with Washington on various issues, direct Ukraine-Russia dialogue had remained frozen since spring 2022. The talks indicated potential flexibility in Moscow’s negotiating posture, though battlefield dynamics continued influencing diplomatic positions.