Abu Dhabi talks: Russia, Ukraine and US hold trilateral negotiations aimed at ending war as Europe coordinates

European coordination comes first

Before the trilateral meeting, US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Ukrainian and European officials in Abu Dhabi. Representatives from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, NATO and the European Commission joined the discussions.

Ukraine’s delegation includes Kyrylo Budanov, Davyd Arakhamia, Serhii Kyslytsia and Vadym Skibitskyi, alongside Rustem Umerov. Umerov said the initial meeting was intended to align positions and coordinate steps before negotiations between Ukraine, the United States and Russia.

Territory remains a major obstacle

The talks are the first substantive negotiations since February aimed at ending a war that has lasted more than four years. The US-led discussions are scheduled to run for two days.

Ukraine wants Russia pushed back to the countries’ original border. Russian President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, seeks control of all of eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region; neither side has shown willingness to make major territorial concessions in earlier diplomacy.

Ukraine sets out priorities

Umerov said Ukraine’s priorities include ending hostilities, obtaining reliable postwar security guarantees, supporting economic recovery and development, and advancing humanitarian efforts. He said the delegation was working to make progress and bring peace closer. Trump said on Monday that Washington was seeing a “very strong inclination” toward ending the war and that both sides were “tired of fighting.”