Ukraine peace talks resume with 'some flexibility' by warring sides
Senior officials from Moscow, Kyiv, and Washington meet in Abu Dhabi for trilateral talks as disagreements over Donetsk persist.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Trilateral peace talks between Moscow, Kyiv, and Washington begin in Abu Dhabi.
- The core dispute centers on control over eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region.
- US officials indicate both sides have shown private flexibility despite public stances.
- Ukrainian lawmakers express skepticism over potential rushed deals under US pressure.
Senior officials from Moscow, Kyiv, and Washington are meeting in Abu Dhabi for the first trilateral talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine since February, coinciding with the approach of the fifth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion. Jared Kushner wrote on X that an important part of the process is encouraging all parties to begin thinking seriously about what comes after the war ends.
However, the positions of Moscow and Kyiv regarding how to end the conflict remain far apart. A key area of disagreement involves Ukraine's eastern region of Donetsk, which is mostly occupied by Russia at present. Moscow demands that Ukraine relinquish the remaining parts of Donetsk it still holds, while Kyiv wants to freeze the contact line to maintain control over those sections for future security.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
While neither side has budged publicly on these demands, a US official speaking ahead of the talks suggested this was merely a public stance and that Moscow and Kyiv had shown a little bit of flexibility privately. Nevertheless, the official acknowledged that the issue cannot be resolved without discussions regarding a new security architecture.
The proposed framework includes security consultations, crisis communications hotlines, and reciprocal de-escalation measures between the two sides, along with the potential reactivation of the NATO-Russia Council, which has been paused since 2022. The last round of trilateral talks in Geneva in February ended without a breakthrough before US attention shifted to the conflict involving Israel, Iran, and the United States.
The resumption of trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi represents a crucial diplomatic effort to re-engage warring parties, though European nations remain wary of being sidelined. Establishing a sustainable security architecture requires delicate balancing to ensure Ukraine's long-term sovereignty and strategic stability are fully protected against future aggression.
European leaders, largely excluded from the peace discussions, have pushed for involvement amid concerns that continental security decisions might be made without them. Since beginning his second term, US President Donald Trump has spearheaded several rounds of talks to end the conflict with limited success, while his conciliatory approach toward Moscow has fueled deep unease in Kyiv and across the European Union.
Oleksandr Merezhko, head of the foreign affairs parliamentary committee in Ukraine's parliament, told the BBC he believes Trump wants a quick deal at the expense of Ukraine, which Kyiv will certainly reject. He argued that the only way to compel Vladimir Putin to engage in genuine negotiations is by exerting greater pressure through comprehensive sanctions and deep-strike capabilities.
The Russian delegation in Abu Dhabi includes Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky, deputy foreign ministers Sergei Ryabkov and Mikhail Galuzin, spy chief Igor Kostyukov, and army general Yury Zhigarlovsky. Meanwhile, Kyiv has dispatched senior negotiators including Foreign Intelligence Service head Rustem Umerov, presidential chief of staff Kyrylo Budanov, and MP Davyd Arakhamiya.
Source: BBC World
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