Ukraine talks resume in Abu Dhabi

Russia, Ukraine and the United States are resuming talks to end the war in Ukraine, with the first trilateral discussions since February. The meeting is taking place in Abu Dhabi, while US officials say that Moscow and Kyiv are showing „a little flexibility“ over control of the eastern Ukrainian territories. However, the two sides’ public positions remain diametrically opposed.

The main dispute concerns Donetsk Oblast, most of which is under Russian control. Moscow insists that Ukraine also give up the areas it still holds. Kyiv rejects this and wants the current line of contact to be frozen, viewing it as important for the country’s future security.

A US official, quoted by the BBC, says that the territorial issue cannot be resolved without prior clarity on the so-called post-war security architecture.

„They will not resolve the issue of Donetsk and the territorial issue until they understand what the post-war security architecture will look like. Bear in mind that we will not be able to finalise one without the other,“ the US official said.

Post-war security takes centre stage

For Ukraine, future guarantees could include a commitment from its allies to provide assistance in the event of another attack. For Russia, one of its long-term goals is to limit NATO’s presence in Eastern Europe, which is causing concern among European countries.

The proposed framework includes security consultations, hotlines for crisis communication and mutual de-escalation measures. The possible restoration of the NATO-Russia Council, which largely suspended its work after 2022, is also being discussed.

Jared Kushner, who is taking part in the US delegation alongside special envoy Steve Witkoff, says the goal is for the parties to begin seriously discussing the period after the end of hostilities.

„An important part of this process is encouraging all parties to start thinking seriously about what comes after the war,“ Kushner wrote.

Europe calls for involvement

European leaders, who have been largely excluded from the talks so far, are insisting on taking part in shaping the continent’s future security. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for NATO and the European Union member states to be included in all substantive discussions.

Washington says it will propose that the talks move to a multilateral format involving the Europeans. The US official acknowledges that Russia is not inclined towards such a change and „has a bad taste in its mouth“ regarding the European countries.

The previous round of trilateral negotiations in Geneva in February ended without a breakthrough. After that, US attention turned to the war between Israel and Iran, and no further talks were held.

Scepticism in Kyiv

Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksandr Merezhko, chairman of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee, told the BBC that US President Donald Trump may be seeking a quick agreement at Ukraine’s expense. According to him, Kyiv would reject such an approach.

„As long as Putin has a functioning military machine, he has no incentive to negotiate,“ Merezhko said.

The Russian delegation in Abu Dhabi includes Kremlin adviser Vladimir Medinsky, Deputy Foreign Ministers Sergey Ryabkov and Mikhail Galuzin, military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov and Army General Yuri Zhigarlovsky. Ukraine is sending the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, Rustem Umerov, Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Kyrylo Budanov, and lawmaker David Arakhamia.

Alongside the diplomatic efforts, Russia continues its strikes on Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure. For Kyiv, this is a sign that Moscow is seeking to force it to accept an agreement on Russian terms. Kushner warns that the meeting in Abu Dhabi can, at most, lay the groundwork for the next stage of negotiations, as the conflict remains „extremely difficult and complex“.

Sources: bbc.com