Negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the United States convened in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday for the first trilateral talks since February aimed at ending the war now in its 56th month.
The two-day session in the United Arab Emirates capital is mediated by US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service head Rustem Umerov leads Kyiv's delegation. Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky heads Moscow's team, which includes Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov for the first time. Security guarantees and territorial demands top the agenda.
Russian President Vladimir Putin demands Ukraine withdraw from four annexed regions and abandon NATO membership. He refuses a general ceasefire, arguing it would let Ukrainian troops regroup. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejects ceding territory Russia has not captured. He insists on security guarantees similar to NATO's Article 5.
US officials said the talks will run on two tracks. A military working group led by Gen. Alexus Grynkewich will discuss ceasefire monitoring. A political group will focus on territorial demands. Officials said both sides have shown "a little bit of flexibility" on territory in recent weeks. Kushner outlined four objectives: ending hostilities, postwar security guarantees, an economic recovery plan and humanitarian measures.
Representatives from the UK, France, Germany, Italy, the EU and NATO are in Abu Dhabi. They will hold separate coordination meetings with Ukrainian officials. Russia insists the talks remain trilateral. US officials want to persuade Moscow to include Europeans in future rounds.
The talks follow a localized truce around Oleshky brokered with help from US First Lady Melania Trump. Fierce fighting has continued along the 1,200-kilometre front line. Russia has intensified strikes on Ukraine's power system as winter sets in. Kyiv said 55 people were killed in a recent strike on a frontline village.
President Donald Trump said last week a "very big agreement" with Russia was possible and that Ukraine would end up with "a little bit different shape." The negotiations were suspended in February due to the US-Israeli war against Iran. US officials said President Trump will make the final decision on any US security guarantee for Ukraine.
Zelensky has named security guarantees, an energy ceasefire, unblocking the Black Sea, prisoner exchanges and a trilateral summit as his priorities. A senior Ukrainian official said, "We don't have any particular expectations." Zelensky warned against a "Yalta 2.0." German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said, "we do not need to establish a new security architecture for Europe."
