* Zelensky said the discussions focused on security guarantees for Ukraine and mechanisms to ensure their long-term effectiveness, as well as steps toward de-escalation, adding that the main goal was to "truly bring peace closer."

* Observers believe the trilateral talks could yield technical progress on less sensitive issues, such as humanitarian cooperation, localized ceasefires, safe corridors for grain exports and the establishment of a sustained dialogue mechanism.

* Although the resumption of talks represents another attempt to resolve the conflict through diplomacy, the prospects for peace in the near term remain bleak.

CAIRO/ABU DHABI, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- A new round of trilateral talks involving Russia, the United States and Ukraine entered its second day on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The meeting marked the first trilateral talks among the three countries since February.

Analysts say the talks have revived hopes for a diplomatic solution to the conflict, which has been dragging on for more than four years, and could pave the way for progress on practical issues, particularly humanitarian cooperation.

However, they struck a more cautious note on the prospects for a comprehensive peace agreement, pointing to the lack of major breakthroughs in previous rounds of negotiations and the deep-rooted differences that continue to divide the two sides.

RESUMPTION OF TALKS

The delegations include several figures who have taken part in earlier rounds of negotiations, including Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, and Ukrainian officials Rustem Umerov, head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, and Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Presidential Office.

The first day of talks concluded after nearly four hours of discussions, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky describing the session as "constructive and quite substantive."

In a post on social media platform X, Zelensky said the discussions focused on security guarantees for Ukraine and mechanisms to ensure their long-term effectiveness, as well as steps toward de-escalation, adding that the main goal was to "truly bring peace closer."

At a press conference following the G7 foreign ministers' meeting in Paris, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also described the first day of talks in Abu Dhabi as "very productive."

Despite the positive assessments, statements from Moscow and Kiev ahead of the talks suggested that the two sides had different expectations of what the latest round of negotiations should achieve.

Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya said Monday that Moscow opposes a "freeze" in the Ukraine conflict that would leave existing security threats unresolved and create conditions for renewed escalation.

Ukraine, meanwhile, has called for an end to hostilities, reliable post-war security guarantees, economic recovery and development, as well as progress on humanitarian issues.

The U.S. objective is "to bring Ukraine and Russia together to discuss directly their postwar security concerns, proposals, and potential solutions," Kushner said in a social media post before the talks.

"We hope these discussions will identify areas of common ground, advance practical solutions, and build momentum toward the next phase of negotiations," he added.

However, previous rounds of negotiations have shown that identifying common ground may be easier said than done.

Following two days of talks in Geneva in February, during which Russian, U.S. and Ukrainian delegations held a total of eight hours of discussions but failed to reach agreement on key issues, direct talks among the three sides remained largely suspended for nine months.

POSSIBLE PROGRESS, CORE DIVISIONS

Observers believe the trilateral talks could yield technical progress on less sensitive issues, such as humanitarian cooperation, localized ceasefires, safe corridors for grain exports and the establishment of a sustained dialogue mechanism.

Ahmed Al-Janabi, a UAE political analyst, said the importance of the talks lay not only in the possibility of reaching an agreement, but also in reopening negotiation channels to discuss the most complex issues, particularly security arrangements, stopping the escalation, humanitarian files and the future of the disputed areas.

However, reconciliation still faces three major obstacles and constraints, according to the analysts.

Firstly, fundamental differences remain difficult to bridge. Russia and Ukraine hold sharply opposing positions on fundamental issues such as territorial sovereignty and security guarantees, making it unlikely that their differences can be resolved in just one or two rounds of talks.

Secondly, the battlefield situation continues to shape the pace of negotiations. Russia is currently maintaining its offensive along the frontline, while Ukraine continues to launch long-range strikes against Russian territory. Both sides seek to gain leverage in negotiations by gaining the upper hand on the battlefield.

Thirdly, external factors, particularly those involving the United States and Europe, can also affect the talks. Political developments in both regions have added further uncertainty to the conflict and its diplomatic prospects.

Amid all these challenges, territorial issues remain at the heart of the disagreements between Moscow and Kiev.

"So far I see no grounds to say that territorial positions have noticeably converged. Kiev proposes a ceasefire to begin with. For Moscow, a ceasefire must become part of the terms of a final settlement," said Vadim Kozyulin, chief researcher at the Institute of Contemporary International Studies of the Russian Diplomatic Academy.

"Territorial issues may simply not be on the agenda, but solutions can and must be sought," Kozyulin added.

PEACE WITHOUT GUARANTEE

Although the resumption of talks represents another attempt to resolve the conflict through diplomacy, the prospects for peace in the near term remain bleak.

Ukraine is not expecting significant results from the first round of trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi, David Arakhamia, chairman of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction, a Ukrainian political party, told the media. He nevertheless acknowledged that resuming negotiations after a prolonged hiatus was an achievement in itself.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, meanwhile, made clear in his remarks on the negotiations that Moscow would not agree to calls for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine.

Such statements from officials in both countries are consistent with analysts' assessments of the limited prospects for an early breakthrough.

"This round of talks is not expected to yield decisive results. In the foreseeable short term, resolving this issue is a far-fetched goal," said Azza Hashem, managing director of the Cairo-based Al Habtoor Research Center.

Despite some positive developments in recent times, "there is no indication that the underlying dynamics of the negotiations have changed," said John Herbst, senior director of the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center. "Any realistic expectations for the upcoming Abu Dhabi talks should therefore be very modest," he said prior to the talks.

Andrey Kortunov, a member of the Russian International Affairs Council, also expressed caution about the prospects for a comprehensive peace agreement.

"It seems to me that it is still very far from a full-fledged peace. Although the negotiations have resumed, one cannot rule out the possibility of a new escalation in the very near future," Kortunov said.

"I would like to hope that the conflict will eventually end, but no one can guarantee these timelines today," he added.

(Video reporters: Wen Xinnian, Wang Hao, He Xinyuan, Wang Zecong; video editors: Liu Ruoshi, Zhang Yuhong.)