Russian, US and Ukrainian delegations met in Abu Dhabi for peace talks

After US President Donald Trump announced last week that a comprehensive agreement that would end the war in Ukraine and guarantee European security was possible, the parties sat down at the table in Abu Dhabi.

Speaking at the meeting, Trump's son-in-law and Special Representative Jared Kushner stated that the contacts with both sides clarified and reduced the differences of opinion and that the US side had good ideas to close these differences.

Emphasizing that Trump is determined to achieve peace, Kushner said, "The President personally asked us to make extra efforts to find a solution that will both end the war and leave them in a much stronger position by enabling both sides to realize their full potential."

Ukraine's chief negotiator Rustem Umerov stated in his opening speech that Kiev is focused on obtaining security guarantees and a lasting peace.

Russia, on the other hand, clearly stated that it saw no place for Europeans in this meeting with Ukrainians and Americans.

Speaking before the talks, Donald Trump stated that Washington sees a very strong tendency to end the war and that both sides are tired of fighting.

Trump, who had a closed-door meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin's representative at the White House last week, predicted that a peace agreement could emerge soon.

After months of Washington's attention focused on the war in Iran, peace negotiations have regained momentum in recent weeks.

Although more than 4.5 years have passed since Russia's military intervention in Ukraine and Russian forces control approximately one-fifth of the country, distance between the parties remains on the terms of a final agreement.

According to public statements, there is no sign that Putin has given up his insistence on Ukraine withdrawing from the entire eastern Donbas region before the peace agreement.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy did not agree to hand over the lands that his soldiers lost their lives defending.

Although Russian advances on the front line have come to a near-complete halt this year, Moscow has continued to strike Ukrainian cities and energy facilities, while Ukraine has stepped up its attacks on oil refineries and other infrastructure deep within Russia.

In his video message published yesterday evening, Zelenskiy argued that the performance of the Ukrainian army in the field, including the recent recapture of some lands in Donetsk, the coal mining region of Donbas, increased its weight in the negotiations.

Zelenskiy made the assessment that "Ukrainian forces are now really strengthening Ukraine's negotiating position."

Claiming that Russia suffered record losses, which Moscow rejected, Zelenskiy called on Washington to persuade the Kremlin to end the war.

Speaking to Reuters, a US official noted that American negotiators believe that Zelenskiy and Putin can reach a compromise by making mutual concessions on the land issue.

According to the proposal put on the table, Ukraine will ensure an end to the war, security guarantees and a road map for joining the EU.

A senior Ukrainian official flatly denied the claim that the government would consider such concessions.

The Ukrainian official explained that the territorial issue can be discussed only at the level of leaders and only in the context of appropriate security guarantees for Ukraine.