Tripartite talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States, aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, concluded in Abu Dhabi after two days of negotiations.
Although the American side announced that there were “some signs of progress,” there were no indications of achieving a breakthrough that would end the war that has been going on for nearly five years, which broke out following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
However, Moscow and Kiev confirmed that work is underway to arrange a large prisoner-of-war exchange, which may be implemented soon.
David Arakhamiya, a member of the Ukrainian negotiating team, described this round of talks, the first since February, as “one of the most difficult rounds.”
“I think the Russians came with very strict instructions, so it was very difficult to show flexibility in the discussions,” Arakhamiya said, but added that he felt there was “positive momentum,” calling for a second round of talks to be organized as soon as possible.
On the other hand, the statements of Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky, representative of the Kremlin, were less inclined to agree, as he said: “At the present time, a lot depends on Ukraine, on the position of the United States, and on whether Europe will come to its senses.”
Following the talks, it was announced that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law, would head Thursday to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, then to Dublin for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The Abu Dhabi talks focused on what was described as Europe's "security architecture".
For Kiev, this may include obtaining guarantees that its allies will come to its aid if Ukraine is subjected to a new attack, even though it is not a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
As for Moscow, any new “security framework” is likely to include restrictions on NATO’s influence in Eastern Europe, an issue that has been a major concern for the Kremlin since the alliance has expanded eastward.
Earlier this week, Kushner said the United States hopes to “create a new framework” for security between Ukraine, Russia, and Europe that will “ensure lasting peace,” while Medinsky said the world needs a “new” and “just” security system.
Medinsky added that this framework would be like "a new Yalta and Potsdam," referring to the two conferences of the 1940s, during which the victorious Allied powers drew up the features of dividing Europe after World War II into spheres of influence.
Ukraine and European countries have long expressed their concern about the extent of the current US administration’s commitment to European security, and what they see as a softening of Washington’s position towards the Kremlin.
Representatives of Britain, NATO, and a number of European Union countries participated in meetings in Abu Dhabi with American and Ukrainian negotiators, but the Kremlin, with which the European Union does not have official contacts, said that its delegation did not communicate with any of them.
Moscow showed disdain for European participation in the negotiations, while European countries have long emphasized that they are a key party in any post-war arrangements on the continent.
Many European countries, especially in Eastern Europe, believe that their security is linked to the security of Ukraine.
A German government spokesman said on Wednesday that the agreements could not be implemented “if consensus cannot be reached among NATO members.”
For his part, Kushner said that the United States is keen to involve the Europeans, adding that the issue of "including them in the negotiating formula" will be on the agenda of his talks with Putin.
Another disagreement arises over whether the ceasefire should be preceded by a discussion of future security arrangements, which is what Kiev and the European countries want, or whether the fighting should not stop until an agreement is reached, as the Kremlin insists.
Kushner pointed out that any agreement on a security framework for the peace phase depends on the end of the war, but he added that this cannot happen “until an agreement is reached on territory and all other bilateral issues.”
Since the start of the talks last year, the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, most of whose territory is controlled by Russia, has remained one of the main obstacles to reaching a settlement.
Kiev wants to freeze the current lines of contact to retain the areas it still controls, and stresses that they are necessary for its security.
On the other hand, Moscow did not back down from its demand that Ukraine give up the remaining parts of Donetsk under its control.
