In a two-day meeting held in Abu Dhabi, trilateral negotiations between Russia, Ukraine, and the United States aimed at ending the five-year conflict in Ukraine concluded without any significant breakthroughs. The discussions revolved around Europe's post-war security framework, with US envoys set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday. According to Davyd Arakhamia, a member of Ukraine's negotiating team, this round of talks - the first since February - was one of the most challenging due to Russia's rigid directives. Both parties confirmed that a large-scale prisoner exchange is in the works and could take place soon. The talks were framed around the "security architecture" of Europe, with Ukraine seeking assurances from its allies about their support in case of future attacks, despite being non-NATO member. Russia, on the other hand, is likely to push for limitations on NATO's influence in eastern Europe. There is disagreement over whether discussions on a future security framework should precede or follow a ceasefire, with both sides having opposing views. The US aims to bring the Europeans into the negotiations, as any agreement on a peacetime security framework hinges on the war's end, which in turn depends on resolving territorial disputes, particularly over Ukraine's eastern region of Donetsk.
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Representatives from Britain, NATO, and various EU countries were present in Abu Dhabi for the talks but did not engage with the Russian delegation directly, as the Kremlin does not officially communicate with the EU. The US is eager to involve Europe in future negotiations, according to Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law, who will be meeting Putin and Zelensky on Thursday. There is disagreement on whether a ceasefire should precede or follow discussions about a future security framework. The US emphasizes that any agreement on peacetime security is contingent upon the war ending, which in turn depends on resolving territorial disputes and other bilateral issues.
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Since last year, a major obstacle to any settlement has been Ukraine's eastern region of Donetsk, which is largely occupied by Russia. Moscow demands that Ukraine surrender the parts of Donetsk it still controls, while Kyiv insists on maintaining control over the area by freezing the contact line. This matter was acknowledged as the most challenging during the recent talks. There was no comment from Zelensky's chief of staff and negotiator, Kyrylo Budanov, regarding Russia's demand for a Ukrainian withdrawal from the region. The complexity and emotional nature of the negotiations are due to the lack of trust between the parties following the conflict.