Ukraine and Russia are negotiating in Abu Dhabi – this German has come

Negotiators from Russia and Ukraine have started their talks under US mediation in Abu Dhabi. Representatives from Kiev, Moscow and Washington met for their first meeting on Tuesday, as seen in footage from the AFP news agency.

The Ukrainian and Russian delegations sat opposite each other and began their talks in the presence of US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The negotiations, scheduled for two days, are the first talks between Kyiv and Moscow since February.

Last week, US President Donald Trump announced a “very big” agreement with Russia that could affect not only Ukraine but “all of Europe”. This has fueled fears among Europeans that Washington and Moscow could reach agreements on the European security order over their heads.

The meeting between the US, Ukraine and Russia will focus on developing mechanisms to counter threats and strengthen regional stability, an insider from the Russian delegation said. “While the Ukraine settlement, as an issue of critical importance, is only one aspect of this far-reaching discussion, it is subordinate to the main goal - the creation of a comprehensive and indivisible security architecture for the entire continent,” the insider was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency.

Merz sends Ukraine expert to talks

Shortly before the three-way talks, the Ukrainian delegation met in Abu Dhabi for a separate meeting with its European allies and the two US envoys. According to Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov, representatives from Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy as well as the EU and NATO took part in the discussions.

Umerow also published a photo of the meeting, which also included US negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff.

Günter Sautter, foreign and security policy advisor to Chancellor Friedrich Merz, traveled to Abu Dhabi for Germany, as the “Politico” portal reports. The experienced diplomat became a central figure in German efforts to end the war.

Sautter represents Germany in the so-called E3 format with France and Great Britain and at the same time coordinates the “Berlin format” led by Germany. Ukraine, European states, NATO and the EU as well as other partners such as Canada should coordinate their positions in the peace talks and their support for Kiev.

Merz highlighted Sautter's role just last week. According to Politico, his advisor is now “devoting a significant portion of his work to diplomatic efforts to end this war.” Sautter takes a clear position: In his view, a future European security architecture should only be discussed once Russia has agreed to a ceasefire.

This is also important because Jared Kushner, son-in-law and advisor to US President Donald Trump, announced last week that the negotiations would be about a “new European security architecture”. According to Politico, this sparked concerns in Europe about possible concessions to Russia. Russian representatives use the term, among other things, in connection with a smaller NATO presence on the eastern flank and restrictions on the Ukrainian armed forces.

In addition to Sautter, other high-ranking European representatives are taking part in the talks in Abu Dhabi. Britain is sending national security adviser Jonathan Powell, who, according to Politico, has a particularly close relationship with US special envoy Steve Witkoff. Geoffrey van Leeuwen, Chief of Staff to Secretary General Mark Rutte, is there for NATO. The EU will be represented, among others, by Björn Seibert, head of cabinet of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

“We will coordinate our positions and coordinate the next steps before the next stage of negotiations,” said Umyerov, a Ukrainian. Negotiations will then take place in a trilateral format between representatives of Ukraine and Russia, mediated by the USA, for the first time since February.

Kremlin does not want Europeans to participate directly in talks

However, the Europeans are not allowed to be at the table during these actual negotiations. Two high-ranking representatives familiar with the planned format told Politico that there were no plans for the European delegation to take part in the main negotiations. However, a German representative told the medium that the format would be determined “in the course of the discussions”. The Kremlin has spoken out against direct participation by Europeans.

Umyerov listed Ukraine's top priorities as “the cessation of hostilities, reliable security guarantees after the war, the economic recovery and development of Ukraine, and humanitarian measures.” The aim is to make progress on these points and bring peace closer.

Ukraine has been defending itself against the Russian war of aggression with Western support for more than four and a half years. Previous negotiations mediated by the USA have not produced a breakthrough. However, both sides agreed on humanitarian measures on several occasions, including the exchange of prisoners of war and the bodies of fallen soldiers.