Ukrainian officials say that their first day of peace talks with Russia was "substantive" and "productive", but no major breakthroughs were announced. The talks, which began in Abu Dhabi under US mediation, are set to continue on Thursday.
Despite fears that the talks might be complicated by renewed Russian attacks on Ukraine, Rustem Umerov, the head of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, described Wednesday's negotiations as "focusing on concrete steps and practical solutions".
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy echoed this sentiment, saying that he expected a prisoner exchange to take place in the near future. However, the Kremlin maintains that Russia will continue its military assault until Kyiv agrees to Moscow's demands.
The central issue at stake is Ukraine's status in eastern regions, particularly Donbas, where Russia seeks to have Ukrainian forces withdraw from "occupied territories" as a precondition for any deal. In contrast, Kyiv is pushing for the front lines to be frozen and rejects any unilateral troop withdrawals.
According to polls, the majority of Ukrainians are opposed to handing over more land to Moscow, with some expressing concerns that any agreement would be seen as a betrayal of those who have died fighting for Ukraine's territorial integrity.
Despite fears that the talks might be complicated by renewed Russian attacks on Ukraine, Rustem Umerov, the head of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, described Wednesday's negotiations as "focusing on concrete steps and practical solutions".
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy echoed this sentiment, saying that he expected a prisoner exchange to take place in the near future. However, the Kremlin maintains that Russia will continue its military assault until Kyiv agrees to Moscow's demands.
The central issue at stake is Ukraine's status in eastern regions, particularly Donbas, where Russia seeks to have Ukrainian forces withdraw from "occupied territories" as a precondition for any deal. In contrast, Kyiv is pushing for the front lines to be frozen and rejects any unilateral troop withdrawals.
According to polls, the majority of Ukrainians are opposed to handing over more land to Moscow, with some expressing concerns that any agreement would be seen as a betrayal of those who have died fighting for Ukraine's territorial integrity.
Hope they can get some concrete stuff done on Thursday 
. both sides seem to be digging in their heels on this whole eastern regions thing 
. ukraine wants to keep its troops in donbas, while russia is pushing for them to leave. it's a tough spot for zelenskyy and his team to navigate.
. both ukraine and russia need to convince each other (and their people) that this peace deal is worth fighting for 
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. we'll just have to wait and see how things unfold 
. The Kremlin's insistence on a prisoner exchange as a precursor to any deal raises questions about the sincerity of their intentions 
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. It's understandable that Kyiv is resistant to unilateral troop withdrawals, given the concerns about territorial integrity and national sovereignty 
. The fact that a majority of Ukrainians are opposed to ceding more land to Moscow underscores the gravity of this decision 
. Until then, it's essential for all stakeholders to remain committed to finding a mutually beneficial solution that prioritizes the well-being and security of the Ukrainian people 
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. On one hand, I get that it's good for both sides to negotiate and try to find a way out of this war. But the fact that Russia is still pushing for Ukrainian forces to leave "occupied territories" just feels like a power grab 
. And what's with these prisoner exchanges? Is that really going to happen anytime soon? 
I'm also not convinced by Zelenskyy saying he expects it, considering how things have gone so far 
. Can't help but wonder if this is just a bit of a negotiating tactic 
. Both sides seem like they're trying to get what they want, but at the same time, it feels like they're just making things worse 
. And don't even get me started on the whole prisoner exchange thing - it feels like a huge bargaining chip 
. I'm not sure what the US is hoping to achieve here, but I do know that Ukrainian citizens are really worried about their country losing more land to Russia 
. They've been saying that since the 90s and nothing's changed except more people dying. If they want concrete steps, maybe they should start with some genuine attempts to withdraw their troops from occupied territories first 
. And what's with Kyiv expecting a prisoner exchange without any concessions? It feels like Ukraine's playing hard to get 
dont get me wrong i feel for both sides but it sounds like us is getting taken advantage of rn with the russia asking for control over eastern regions its like they think ukranians are just gonna roll over and let them have it 
anyhoo can u imagine if we were in their shoes would we be willing to give up donbas too?? 
ukraine and russia can't even agree on what's "occupied" lol i mean donbas has been like that since forever 
especially with the kremlin saying they won't stop till kyiv agrees to moscow's demands 
shouldn't that count for something? 
The thing is, I'm not sure Ukraine's got much to lose by ceding some of those eastern regions... but at the same time, Kyiv's got a lot riding on this whole independence thing 
. Maybe we'll get lucky and these talks actually pan out? Wouldn't that be something to write about in 20 years? 
Still waiting for concrete steps... All these talks and no clear outcome 
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it's gonna be tough for both sides to come to an agreement. I think the Ukrainian gov is being reasonable by pushing for frozen front lines, but at the same time, Russia's got some legit concerns about security in Donbas. I just hope they can find a middle ground that doesn't involve more land losses for Ukraine 
. I read some polls and its clear that Ukrainians are super opposed to this idea, like, majority of them think its a big no-no 
! But I'm low-key worried 'bout the Donbas situation tho... like, how can Kyiv just agree to hand over land without even discussing it with their people first? 
That's a major red flag for me. Anyways, fingers crossed for Thursday's talks and maybe we'll see some real progress 
. Anyway, fingers crossed these talks lead to something concrete... but I'm not holding my breath 
Ukraine wants Donbas to be frozen, but what if Russia just uses that as a stepping stone to get more territory? I don't trust anythin' that comes out of Moscow's mouth right now. And what about the prisoner exchange? Is that just a pawn in their game? It seems like they're playin' a long game here, and we should be careful not to get caught up in it.