Trilateral negotiations involving Ukraine, Russia, and the United States have commenced in Abu Dhabi to seek an end to the ongoing war.
Although expectations for an immediate breakthrough remain low, American officials stated yesterday that Kyiv and Moscow have privately demonstrated some degree of flexibility regarding postwar control over Ukraine's eastern territories.
Jared Kushner, son-in-law to Donald Trump and part of the US delegation alongside peace envoy Steve Witkoff, noted that the discussions will concentrate on addressing the postwar security concerns of both warring nations.
An important part of this process is encouraging all parties to begin thinking seriously about what comes after the war, Kushner wrote on X.
Prior to the gathering, the two US envoys conferred with Ukrainian, European, and NATO officials in Abu Dhabi, with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot insisting that France, the UK, and Germany would indeed participate in the meeting room.
European officials remain concerned that Russia might attempt to secure a separate agreement with the United States concerning future collective security without their involvement, while the positions of Moscow and Kyiv on ending the conflict stay far apart.
A central point of contention involves the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk, which is currently mostly under Russian occupation.
Moscow insists that Ukraine surrender the remaining parts of Donetsk it still controls, whereas Kyiv aims to freeze the contact line to preserve authority over those areas, which it regards as vital for its future security.
Although neither side has altered these public demands, a US official speaking prior to the meetings indicated that this represented only their public stance, noting that Moscow and Kyiv had shown a little bit of flexibility privately.
Nevertheless, the official acknowledged that this issue cannot be resolved without broader discussions concerning a new security architecture.
They will not solve the Donetsk issue and the territorial issue until they know what the security architecture is going to be after the war, the official stated, adding that finalizing one without the other will not be possible.
For Ukraine, a postwar security architecture might entail assurances that allies will intervene if it faces renewed aggression. For Russia, it could involve its long-term objective of seeing NATO withdraw from eastern Europe, a prospect that alarms European capitals.
Proposed frameworks incorporate security consultations, crisis communication hotlines, and reciprocal de-escalation measures between the two sides, alongside a potential reactivation of the NATO-Russia Council, which has been largely dormant since 2022.
The previous round of trilateral meetings, held in Geneva in February, concluded without a breakthrough, after which the US-Israel war on Iran shifted Washington's focus away from Ukraine.
Since that time, European leaders who were largely excluded from earlier peace discussions have pushed for involvement, fearing that decisions regarding their continent's security might be made without them.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged on Monday that EU members and NATO allies be included in any meaningful discussions concerning Europe's security architecture, while President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly emphasized Kyiv's desire for European participation.
The US official announced that American representatives will propose transitioning to a multilateral format that incorporates European nations into the dialogue, noting a hope to get the Russians on board while conceding that the Russians have a bad taste in their mouth with the Europeans.
Since beginning his second term, US President Donald Trump, who previously claimed he could end the conflict within a day, has spearheaded multiple rounds of peace efforts with limited success.
At the same time, his increasingly conciliatory posture toward Moscow has generated significant anxiety within Kyiv and across the European Union.
Following a meeting with Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev in Washington last week, Trump predicted a forthcoming big, beautiful agreement regarding Ukraine that might involve all of Europe.
Many in Ukraine remain doubtful that this approach will yield a just peace.
Ukrainian MP Oleksandr Merezhko, who chairs the parliamentary foreign affairs committee, told the BBC that he believes Trump desires a quick deal at the expense of Ukraine, which Kyiv would undoubtedly reject.
According to Merezhko, the sole method to compel Putin into genuine negotiations is by applying stronger pressure on Russia through economic sanctions and deep strikes.
While Putin has a war machine up and running, he has no incentives to negotiate, Merezhko stated, further criticizing recent actions by Trump, such as purchasing diesel from Russia, as measures that merely encourage Moscow to persist in the conflict.
Russia's delegation in Abu Dhabi features Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky, deputy foreign ministers Sergei Ryabkov and Mikhail Galuzin, intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov, and army general Yury Zhigarlovsky.
Kyiv is represented by several senior officials with experience from past negotiating teams, including Foreign Intelligence Service head Rustem Umerov, presidential chief of staff Kyrylo Budanov, and MP Davyd Arakhamiya.
Outside the negotiation venue, Russian forces continue to subject Ukraine to deadly bombardments and attacks on energy infrastructure, which Kyiv interprets as an effort by Moscow to force acceptance of a settlement dictated by Russian terms.
On Monday, Kushner urged caution, emphasizing that the Abu Dhabi meetings could at most build momentum toward the next phase of negotiations.
This is an extraordinarily difficult and complicated conflict, he wrote on X, noting that the United States is approaching these discussions with determination and realism.