Ukraine, Russia and US Begin Peace Talks in Abu Dhabi
The talks lasted about four hours and focused on humanitarian steps, security guarantees for Ukraine and ways to prevent renewed fighting, Zelenskyy said after receiving a briefing from his negotiating team. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, absent from the meeting, also called the first day productive.
A major sticking point is Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk area. Moscow holds the bulk of it and has pressed Ukraine to surrender what remains. Ukraine fears a withdrawal could allow Russian forces to advance farther into its territory.
US special envoy Jared Kushner said postwar security concerns were a key focus. Ukraine has prioritized guarantees against another invasion. Kushner and fellow envoy Steve Witkoff had met Russian and Ukrainian officials in recent weeks to prepare for the trilateral talks. Kushner said the US had narrowed differences, but the specific gaps he meant were not clear.
The countries last held trilateral talks in Geneva in February, without reaching a breakthrough. The war is approaching its fifth anniversary next February. Meanwhile, Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure and Ukraine’s shortage of Patriot interceptors and other air-defense weapons are adding pressure as winter approaches.
Ukraine’s Security Must Anchor Abu Dhabi Peace Talks
The central test of the Abu Dhabi talks is whether Ukraine can secure lasting protection against another invasion. Zelenskyy said negotiators discussed security guarantees and ways to prevent the war from restarting, while US envoy Jared Kushner identified postwar security as a key focus.
That question is inseparable from Russia’s demand that Ukraine surrender the rest of Donetsk. Russia controls most of the region, but Ukraine fears giving it up would open the way to further Russian advances. A settlement that leaves that danger unresolved would not answer Kyiv’s core security concern.
The first session lasted about four hours. Zelenskyy called it constructive and substantive, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio described it as productive. Kushner said the US had narrowed differences, though the specific issues were not clear.
The talks follow a February trilateral in Geneva that produced no breakthrough. As Russian attacks hit Ukrainian energy infrastructure and Ukraine faces shortages of Patriot interceptors and other air-defense weapons, the stakes of any security guarantees are immediate as well as long-term.
Abu Dhabi Talks Offer a Diplomatic Opening on Ukraine
After earlier diplomacy failed to produce a breakthrough, the first day of trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi offers a chance to test whether Ukraine and Russia can narrow their differences. The meeting lasted about four hours, and Zelenskyy called the discussions constructive and substantive. Rubio, who was not present, said the day was productive.
Negotiators discussed humanitarian steps and Ukraine’s postwar security, according to Zelenskyy. US envoy Jared Kushner said security concerns were a key focus and that the US had narrowed gaps between the sides, although the specific differences were not clear.
The hardest issue remains Donetsk. Russia controls most of the eastern region and wants Ukraine to cede the rest; Ukraine fears that doing so would enable further Russian advances. The talks must contend with that divide rather than treating a positive first day as a settlement.
The countries last met in a trilateral format in Geneva in February, without a breakthrough. Meanwhile, Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure and shortages of Patriot interceptors and other defensive weapons leave the approaching winter a pressing concern.
Reported by New York Post, CBS News.
