Russian and Ukrainian delegations arrived in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on Monday to participate in trilateral talks involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States.

The talks are scheduled to take place on Tuesday and Wednesday as part of ongoing efforts to explore ways to resolve the Ukraine crisis.

Earlier on Monday, Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service, announced on Telegram that the Ukrainian negotiating team was heading to the UAE for the talks.

Representatives of European countries, including the UK, France, Germany and Italy, as well as officials from NATO and the European Commission, will also be present in Abu Dhabi, he said.

Umerov added that Ukraine plans to hold separate coordination meetings with its European partners.

"Our goal is a long-term and sustainable peace, guaranteed security for Ukraine, and real opportunities for Ukraine's post-war recovery," he said.

The Abu Dhabi meeting will be the first trilateral meeting between Russia, the United States and Ukraine since February.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday that the agenda for the upcoming Abu Dhabi talks places security issues concerning Russia, Ukraine and Europe as a whole as the first item.

The negotiations will center on the security of Russia and Ukraine, as well as regional security, he said, adding that the Russian side welcomes the US position regarding security guarantees.

He said the talks will also discuss principles to be approved at the conclusion of negotiations for a settlement to the ongoing conflict.

Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's Presidential Office, said Ukraine plans to make humanitarian issues the focus of the Abu Dhabi talks, with a particular emphasis on advancing the exchange of prisoners.

"I hope that the dialogue in the UAE will produce practical results and that we will be able to agree on the next steps to bring our people home,“ Budanov wrote on Telegram.

He thanked the UAE for facilitating the organization of the talks. "Special thanks to the American side, in particular Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, for their personal efforts in the negotiation process," Budanov added.

A US official said on Monday that the White House is "cautiously optimistic" as peace talks between Russia and Ukraine resume in Abu Dhabi, according to Axios.

"There is a shot to make significant progress towards a deal and to try and bridge the gaps," the official said. "Getting the parties back to the table wasn't easy to do and we see promising signs as mediators."

After the meetings in Abu Dhabi, Witkoff and Kushner may travel to Moscow and Kyiv to speak directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to the official.

Meanwhile, Europe's role in the Abu Dhabi talks remains uncertain.

Umerov said on Monday that the Ukrainian delegation will "do everything possible to ensure that Europe is part of the diplomatic process."

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Europe must be involved in the peace process on Ukraine both at the meeting in Abu Dhabi and afterwards.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed in a post on X that the EU would have representatives at the talks, writing that "the EU will be present alongside our partners."

In addition to the EU representatives, national security advisers from France, Germany and the UK will be present at the talks, according to a German official and two EU diplomats.

However, it remains uncertain whether European representatives will be granted access to the formal negotiation room. An EU official said that national security advisors from the three countries might be present at or near the negotiation venue, though they will not directly participate in the trilateral talks.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that the Europeans have no place at the negotiating table on Ukraine.

She said that the start of the "Coalition of the Willing" military exercises in Poland on Monday, on the eve of the Abu Dhabi talks, shows that the West still refuses to take into account Russia's security concerns.

"It is abundantly clear that the West remains unwilling to take Russia's legitimate security concerns into account and continues to fuel the spiral of escalation," she said.

(With input from agencies)