Russia-Ukraine Talks Shift to Post-War Security but Yield No Breakthrough
Trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States in Abu Dhabi ended after two days without a breakthrough on ending the war, now approaching its fifth year since Russia’s invasion. Ukraine’s Davyd Arakhamia described the first such discussions since February as exceptionally difficult, saying Russia arrived with strict instructions, although he also detected “good momentum” and called for another round soon. The two sides did, however, confirm that preparations were under way for a large-scale prisoner-of-war exchange.
The discussions focused heavily on Europe’s future security architecture. Ukraine is seeking guarantees that allies would help if it were attacked again, despite not being a Nato member, while Moscow wants limits on Nato’s influence in eastern Europe. US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are due to meet Vladimir Putin in Moscow and Volodymyr Zelensky in Dublin on Thursday, with Kushner saying Washington wants Europe included in a new security framework. Britain, Nato and EU representatives attended separate meetings, but Moscow said its delegation had not engaged with them.
The biggest obstacle remains territory, especially Donetsk, much of which Russia occupies. Moscow wants Ukraine to surrender the territory it still controls there, while Kyiv wants to freeze the current front line. The talks also exposed a dispute over sequencing: Ukraine and European governments want a ceasefire first, whereas the Kremlin says fighting should stop only after a wider agreement. Any lasting security arrangement remains dependent on resolving territory and other bilateral issues, amid an absence of trust between the sides.
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