Overview
- The trilateral talks began in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday and the first session lasted roughly four hours with delegations agreeing to continue the next day.
- The U.S. team is led by Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, Russia by Vladímir Medinski and Ukraine by Rustem Umerov, with senior political and intelligence officials present for both Moscow and Kyiv.
- Moscow is demanding Ukrainian troop withdrawals from parts of the Donbas and limits on Ukraine’s ties with NATO, while Kyiv refuses to cede territory and insists on concrete, enforceable guarantees before accepting major concessions.
- European governments pressed to be involved through separate consultations with Ukraine and U.S. envoys but were excluded from the formal trilateral table, a point that European officials say could leave the continent sidelined if a deal moves forward.
- Fighting and long-range strikes continued during the talks, complicating diplomacy and keeping expectations low since past rounds produced mainly humanitarian deals rather than a political settlement.