Russia, Ukraine and US to resume trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi
Security guarantees top the agenda as negotiators meet for the first time since February, while both sides keep up long-range strikes and the front line remains active.
Key points
- Russian, Ukrainian and US negotiators are set to hold two days of talks in Abu Dhabi, starting Tuesday.
- It is the first such trilateral round since February, after earlier talks early this year made no visible progress.
- Russia and Ukraine remain far apart on territory, NATO membership and military limits.
- Security guarantees are the main topic, with European involvement still disputed.
- Fighting and long-range attacks on energy infrastructure have continued.
According to France 24, citing AP, negotiators from Russia, Ukraine and the United States are scheduled to meet in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, for two days of talks starting Tuesday. The session is the first of its kind since February. Security guarantees are expected to dominate the discussions.
The talks aim to end a full-scale war that is close to its five-year mark. Earlier negotiations at the start of this year did not produce any visible progress. A recent localised truce around the occupied city of Oleshky in southern Ukraine was brokered with help from US First Lady Melania Trump. It allowed some residents to leave and humanitarian supplies to arrive, but fighting elsewhere has continued along a front line of about 1,200 kilometres.
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Far apart on key demands
Russian President Vladimir Putin wants Ukrainian forces to leave the four regions Moscow annexed in September 2022, which Russia has never fully seized. He also wants Kyiv to scrap its NATO ambitions, accept tight caps on its armed forces, and ease curbs on the Russian tongue and on the Orthodox Church linked to Moscow. Putin has said he wants a full settlement on those terms and will not agree to a general halt in hostilities.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected giving up territory that Russia has not taken on the battlefield. He also rejects limits on his military and arrangements with Western partners, which Kyiv sees as necessary protection against a future invasion. Ukraine argues that an immediate ceasefire should come first, and says only a direct meeting between Putin and Zelensky can settle territorial questions.
Security guarantees and a possible European role
Zelensky has pointed to security commitments similar to NATO’s Article 5, under which an attack on one member is treated as an attack on all. In a November 5 interview, he said the guarantees come down to what Western allies would do if Russia invaded again. Some European countries have considered sending troops to Ukraine after any peace deal. Russia has said it would treat any such troops as legitimate targets.
US President Donald Trump told the program 60 Minutes that the two sides are very close to a deal, though he said Ukraine could end up with a somewhat different shape. He also said a broader agreement on European security was being prepared, and that it could involve more than Ukraine. The Kremlin has said European states should only join later, while Ukraine wants its European allies at the table now.
Who is negotiating
Vladimir Medinsky remains Moscow’s chief negotiator. He has a hard-line reputation and led Russia’s delegation in earlier direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul. Moscow’s delegation additionally counts two deputy foreign ministers among its members, Sergei Ryabkov and Mikhail Galuzin. Ukraine’s delegation is led by Rustem Umerov, head of the Foreign Intelligence Service.
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are due to hold talks first with representatives of Ukraine, the European Union, NATO, and the governments of Germany, France, Britain and Italy, according to Kushner. He said the aim is to move from managing the war toward building conditions for a lasting peace.
Related: Melania Trump hosts Russian and Ukrainian officials after Oleshky truce
Frequently asked questions
When do the Abu Dhabi talks begin?
The two-day session between Russian, Ukrainian and US negotiators is scheduled to start on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, according to France 24.
What are the main sticking points?
Russia wants Ukraine to withdraw from four annexed regions, drop its NATO bid and accept military limits. Ukraine rejects giving up territory and wants an immediate ceasefire first.
Will European countries take part?
Ukraine wants its European allies involved, while Russia opposes this at present. Kushner said he and Witkoff would meet European envoys before the three-way talks.
Sources
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