Spokesperson for US army secretary says discussions with officials from Kyiv and Moscow are going well

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Discussions involving US, Russian and Ukrainian officials are taking place in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, the latest step in the Trump administration’s attempts to push through a peace deal to end the conflict in Ukraine.

The US army secretary, Dan Driscoll, met a Russian delegation on Monday night in the Gulf emirate, and talks continued into Tuesday. “The talks are going well and we remain optimistic. Secretary Driscoll is closely synchronised with the White House ... as these talks progress,” his spokesperson told Reuters.