Ukraine and Russia hold first direct talks in months as delegations meet in Abu Dhabi

Senior officials from Ukraine, Russia and the United States are meeting in Abu Dhabi for trilateral peace talks, the first such discussions since February. The meetings follow a deadly Russian strike on a village in Zaporizhzhia last week that killed at least 40 people.

Territorial Disputes

Moscow and Kyiv remain far apart on ending the conflict, particularly regarding the eastern region of Donetsk. Russia demands that Ukraine give up the parts of Donetsk it still holds, while Kyiv wants to freeze the contact line. US officials say both sides are privately showing a little bit of flexibility on postwar control of eastern regions, though neither has changed its public demands.

Security Plans

US delegates Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff stated that discussions will focus on postwar security concerns for both nations. Proposed frameworks include security consultations, crisis hotlines, reciprocal de-escalation measures, and the potential reactivation of the paused Nato-Russia Council. US officials also plan to propose bringing European leaders into a multilateral format, addressing concerns from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and President Volodymyr Zelensky about European exclusion.

Context

Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine involve complex territorial disputes and competing demands over regional security arrangements. Trilateral discussions often require balancing immediate ceasefire terms with long-term guarantees involving international bodies like Nato.