Talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States in Abu Dhabi ended with an agreement on a major prisoner exchange, but without a breakthrough on a ceasefire, territorial disputes or the protection of Ukrainian infrastructure. According to Ukrainian diplomat and politician Roman Bezsmertny, Vladimir Putin derives political value simply from taking part in the talks.
“For Putin, the negotiating process itself already has value,” Bezsmertny said in an interview with OBOZ.UA. In his words, this allows Moscow to demonstrate its willingness to engage in dialogue, retain Donald Trump’s support for a diplomatic solution and avoid fresh pressure from Washington.
The two-day talks in Abu Dhabi ended without an agreement to stop the fighting. Russia continues to insist on territorial concessions from Ukraine, that it give up NATO membership and that Ukrainian military capabilities be restricted. Kyiv, for its part, is prioritizing a halt to the strikes, the return of prisoners and reliable security guarantees.
Humanitarian Outcome Without a Political Breakthrough
Bezsmertny described the prisoner exchange as one of the few concrete outcomes of the meeting. He noted that the humanitarian agenda also includes the return of civilians and continued efforts to secure the release of Ukrainian children who, according to Kyiv, were illegally deported.
In his words, a ceasefire, energy security and the safety of commercial shipping in the Black Sea remain unresolved. “Even if we call this constructive, these statements are needed only for Donald Trump to hear and see them,” the diplomat said.
The Dispute over Security Guarantees
Among the ideas discussed was the possibility of security guarantees for Ukraine modeled on the principles of Articles 4 and 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. Article 5 stipulates that an attack on one NATO member is to be considered an attack on all allies.
Bezsmertny believes that such a mechanism for Ukraine would be possible only through a separate international agreement or changes to the relevant arrangements. He also stressed that decisions within NATO are made by consensus, which would make the adoption of such a formula more difficult.
According to him, Moscow immediately objected that Article 5 could not be applied to Ukraine because the country is not a member of the Alliance. The diplomat described as “absurd” the idea that Ukraine’s security guarantees should be agreed in advance with the state waging war against it.
The Next Talks Will Take Place in Moscow and Dublin
Following the meeting in Abu Dhabi, American representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are due to travel to Moscow, where they will meet with Vladimir Putin. A meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky in Dublin is planned afterward. Kushner said the aim was to discuss possible next steps and the framework for Europe’s future security.
For Bezsmertny, however, the main problem remains: Moscow is showing no readiness to discuss a genuine ceasefire and continues to set political and territorial conditions. Thus, the prisoner exchange may produce a humanitarian outcome, but on its own it does not change the positions on the fundamental issues of the war.
Sources: obozrevatel.com, apnews.com