Talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States began on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The two-day meeting is the first of its kind since February.
The aim is to move towards ending the war. Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly five years ago.
Since then, the fighting has continued.
Analysts and humanitarian groups say the war has killed hundreds of thousands of soldiers.
Thousands of civilians have also died.
Key points
- Russia, Ukraine and the US met in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday for a two-day session.
- It is the first such meeting since February.
- Three earlier rounds this year did not produce any major breakthrough.
- Russia and Ukraine remain far apart on key demands.
What did the leaders say at the start?
US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is helping lead Washington's effort.
He said there were "some good ideas" for bridging the differences between the two sides.
Kushner said the goal is to create a new framework for lasting peace.
He said the US wants to build on past agreements and understandings.
Ukraine's delegation is led by Rustem Umerov. He thanked the US for its efforts.
"Our people are waiting to end this war," he said.
Russia's delegation is led by Vladimir Medinsky. He said the Russian team has become bigger and more professional.
He hopes the meeting will move both countries towards peace.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he does not have overly high expectations for the talks.
Why are the two sides still so far apart?
Russia sees NATO, the Western military alliance, as a threat. Ukraine wants to stop any future Russian invasion.
Russian President Vladimir Putin wants Ukraine to pull its troops out of four regions.
These are Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. Moscow annexed them in 2022, but has not fully captured them.
Putin also wants Ukraine to drop its plan to join NATO.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejects giving up territory on demand.
Moscow has also refused a general ceasefire.
It argues that a pause would only help Ukrainian troops rest and rebuild their weapons.
What happens next after these talks?
The talks are expected to resume on Wednesday. Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service said so.
The fighting has not stopped.
Russia launched 162 drones and a ballistic missile at Ukraine overnight, Ukraine's air force said.
Russia's defence ministry said it shot down 155 Ukrainian drones.
Graphic: News Anek, from the facts in this report
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Zelenskyy before the talks. India has repeated its offer to help end the war.
