Ukraine, Russia, and the US have convened in Abu Dhabi for a three-day summit aimed at brokering an end to the nearly four-year conflict between Moscow and Kiev. The talks have centered on the contentious issue of territorial control, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasizing that Russia must be willing to cease hostilities it began.
"We'll see how the conversation goes tomorrow and what the outcome will be," Zelenskyy stated in a Telegram message. Territorial disputes remain at the forefront of negotiations, however, despite assertions from US President Donald Trump that both parties are eager to reach an agreement.
Russian officials have reiterated their stance on Ukraine's control over the Donbas region, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov labeling it "a very important condition." The Russian delegation, comprising military officers, will engage in separate talks with US envoy Steve Witkoff on economic issues.
Russia seeks Ukrainian army withdrawal from Donbas, but this demand has been met with resistance from Ukraine. State-run TASS news agency reported that discussions included the possibility of buffer zones and monitoring mechanisms to mitigate tensions.
Ukraine's position remains centered around security guarantees from Western allies if a deal is secured. Ongoing Russian attacks have left thousands of families struggling to cope in freezing temperatures, while power outages continue to affect the country.
As negotiations progress, Trump expressed confidence that both parties could reach an agreement. "I believe they're at a point now where they can come together and get a deal done," he said. However, achieving consensus on key issues remains uncertain, given previous face-to-face meetings between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators ended only in prisoner exchanges.
The talks in Abu Dhabi mark the first direct public negotiations between Moscow and Kiev, with US involvement playing a crucial role in brokering an end to the conflict.
"We'll see how the conversation goes tomorrow and what the outcome will be," Zelenskyy stated in a Telegram message. Territorial disputes remain at the forefront of negotiations, however, despite assertions from US President Donald Trump that both parties are eager to reach an agreement.
Russian officials have reiterated their stance on Ukraine's control over the Donbas region, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov labeling it "a very important condition." The Russian delegation, comprising military officers, will engage in separate talks with US envoy Steve Witkoff on economic issues.
Russia seeks Ukrainian army withdrawal from Donbas, but this demand has been met with resistance from Ukraine. State-run TASS news agency reported that discussions included the possibility of buffer zones and monitoring mechanisms to mitigate tensions.
Ukraine's position remains centered around security guarantees from Western allies if a deal is secured. Ongoing Russian attacks have left thousands of families struggling to cope in freezing temperatures, while power outages continue to affect the country.
As negotiations progress, Trump expressed confidence that both parties could reach an agreement. "I believe they're at a point now where they can come together and get a deal done," he said. However, achieving consensus on key issues remains uncertain, given previous face-to-face meetings between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators ended only in prisoner exchanges.
The talks in Abu Dhabi mark the first direct public negotiations between Moscow and Kiev, with US involvement playing a crucial role in brokering an end to the conflict.
I'm not sure how much of an impact these talks will actually have...like, what if both sides are still super far apart? 
Russia is being really tough on Ukraine about Donbas, but Ukraine isn't budging on security guarantees from their Western allies...this feels like a big sticking point for me. 
How do you think the US can facilitate real progress without just enabling one side or the other to get exactly what they want? 
And have we heard anything about any actual concessions Russia is willing to make in exchange for Ukraine's withdrawal from Donbas...or is that just a non-negotiable for them? 
i mean like zelenskyy seems super chill about it but at the same time urkraine's gotta be worried about their people's lives right? like my cousin's fam is from ukraine and they're always talking about how hard life is there rn due to all the fighting 
so i hope dis summit actually makes a difference
so like, have you seen those stats on the economic impact of this war on Ukraine? 
4 years and counting, and it's like, devastating 
over 2 million ppl displaced, 10s of thousands affected by power outages 
. And then there's the human cost... 13k+ deaths, 25k injured 
. 
$40b in aid so far, and counting 
. Trump's all optimistic, says both sides can come together, but I'm like... 
sounds like a whole lotta bureaucratic stuff 
. What's your take on this summit?
. It's good to see world leaders coming together to find common ground, even if it's not easy. I think what's holding back progress is the idea that one side has to completely give up on their claims. Can't we just have buffer zones or monitoring mechanisms to reduce tensions? 
I don't know if it's just wishful thinking or not, but if they can get past the territorial control issue, maybe we'll see some progress.
It could be a game-changer for Ukraine. The thought of buffer zones and monitoring mechanisms to mitigate tensions is interesting too 
Power outages are no joke either 
I just hope these talks lead to some real change soon.