Russia-Ukraine War: Abu Dhabi Talks Conclude Without

Russia-Ukraine War: Abu Dhabi Talks Conclude Without Announced Progress

Russian, Ukrainian, and American negotiators concluded their two-day meeting in Abu Dhabi on Saturday without announcing any results in efforts to end the nearly four-year-long war. Prior to the talks, Ukraine’s chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, stated that the discussions focused on “the parameters for ending Russia’s war and the further logic of the negotiation process.”

According to local authorities, Russian airstrikes targeted Ukraine’s capital Kyiv and the northeastern city of Kharkiv, killing at least one person and injuring dozens more.
The talks in Abu Dhabi took place behind closed doors at an undisclosed location. Considerable uncertainty remains regarding the actual content of the negotiations. Russia was represented solely by high-level military officials. This suggests they were not individuals empowered to make political decisions, such as on territorial issues, which remain the biggest obstacle.

Analysts believe the parties likely discussed issues such as prisoner-of-war exchanges and creating buffer zones. This raises hope for potential progress towards a ceasefire agreement, upon which a longer-term solution could be built.

Many observers view it as a positive sign that Russian and Ukrainian representatives engaged in direct talks. The next round of negotiations between the parties could take place in Abu Dhabi next week.
As we are reporting, the second and final day of trilateral negotiations between Kyiv, Moscow, and Washington aimed at ending the war has concluded. Sources close to the talks cited by the Russian news agency TASS indicate that the delegations have returned to their hotels, and there are no plans to continue negotiations on Saturday. No concrete results have been announced so far.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has described the talks as “constructive” and hinted at the possibility of future negotiations in the coming days. We do not have extensive details about the meeting’s specifics, but we know its aims included discussing what to do about the contested areas in Donbas and negotiating the possibility of a ceasefire regarding Ukraine’s infrastructure.

The Ukrainian delegation included Rustem Umerov (chief negotiator), Kyrylo Budanov (the President’s new Chief of Staff and former military intelligence head), and David Arakhamia (head of the President’s party and participant in the initial Russia-Ukraine talks in March 2022).

In Kyiv, Ukrainian opposition MP Kira Rudik described this morning’s Russian attacks on X (formerly Twitter), saying: “Explosions are shaking the city. With the energy system hanging by a thread, we are praying our air defense can save it today.”

International Reaction and Latest Developments:

US Involvement: President Zelenskyy stated that the American side raised “the issue of potential formats for formalizing the parameters for ending the war, along with the security guarantees required to achieve it.” He also emphasized the importance of American oversight.
Posture of Both Sides: Zelenskyy expressed Ukraine’s readiness for further talks. The Russian Foreign Ministry also stated that Moscow is prepared for further negotiations. However, neither side has provided details on any potential progress.
Continued Attacks: According to Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kubrava, nearly 1.2 million people across the country are without electricity following the latest Russian airstrikes. The attacks killed at least one person and injured dozens in Kyiv and Kharkiv. The US Ambassador to Ukraine, Katarina Mathernova, labeled these attacks “terrorism.”

Dispute with Hungary:
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of “fulfilling Putin’s wishes” in an angry post on X, prompting a response from Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó. The dispute arose after Orbán stated that Hungary would not support Ukraine’s European Union membership “for the next 100 years.” Sybiha described this stance as “doomed to failure.”