Russia, Ukraine, and the United States concluded a two-day round of talks in Abu Dhabi aimed at resolving the five-year-old conflict in eastern Ukraine. Although some progress was reported, no significant breakthroughs were achieved to end the war initiated by Russia's invasion. The discussions focused on Europe's post-war security framework, with US envoys set to meet Putin and Zelensky on Thursday. Davyd Arakhamia, a member of Ukraine's negotiating team, described the talks - the first since February - as one of the hardest due to Russia's strict directives. He expressed optimism about continued negotiations, citing good momentum for another round of discussions.
Both Moscow and Kyiv confirmed that a large-scale prisoner exchange was under negotiation and could occur soon. In addition, US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law, will travel to Moscow on Thursday to meet Putin and later Dublin to speak with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky. The talks were framed as centering around Europe's post-war security architecture, with Kyiv seeking assurances of aid from allies in case of future attacks despite Ukraine not being a NATO member. Moscow is likely to seek limits on NATO's influence in eastern Europe, a concern for the Kremlin since the alliance's eastward expansion.
The US aims to create a new security framework involving Ukraine, Russia, and Europe that could secure lasting peace, while the Kremlin advocates for a new and fair security system. European involvement is essential according to the Europeans, who argue they are central to any post-war dynamics on their continent, with many feeling their security is linked to Ukraine's. However, disagreement persists over whether discussions on a future security framework should precede or follow a ceasefire. Any agreement on a peacetime security framework depends on the war ending, according to Kushner. The core obstacle to any settlement remains Ukraine's eastern region of Donetsk, mostly occupied by Russia, with disagreements over territorial claims and control lines.
Caution: This summary is based on reported information and attributions from various sources. The details provided are accurate at the time of writing but may be subject to change as more information becomes available.