Just this week, US officials conducted high-level negotiations with Russian and Ukrainian officials in Abu Dhabi. Their intent was to investigate possibilities for resolving the endless war in Ukraine. The negotiations started on Monday and stretched well into Tuesday. It was during this crucial multilateral moment that US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll engaged directly with a Russian delegation. We know that Ukraine is really struggling at the moment. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called international attention to Ukraine’s fight for survival at one of the most harrowing times in the country’s storied history.
Zelenskyy’s remarks made clear just how existential that danger is. He continued by noting that Ukraine is in a horrible position—you can either lose your pride or lose your most important supporter. The need for progress at these negotiations in Abu Dhabi couldn’t be more apparent. American officials are earnestly negotiating an outline of a deal that emerged from dialogue between administration-facilitated direct talks between former President Donald Trump’s emissary Steve Witkoff and Kremlin aide Kirill Dmitriev. The original proposal The original 28-point proposal, which has been improved upon, served to meet the changing realities of the conflict.
Among the notable contributors to the plan is Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine’s security council, who has reportedly provided input on its formulation. Here’s what we like about the original proposal. Ukraine would need to give up all territory presently under Russian control, limit the number of troops Ukraine can have, and provide amnesty for war crimes to both sides.
Due to recent developments, revised terms became necessary. Instead, they’ve upped the amount of future Ukraine military forces that they’d allow under this cap from 600,000 to 800,000 members. Yet territorial concessions is key sticking point. Russia remains adamant that Ukraine should give up about 30% of the easternmost province of Donetsk. Ukrainian officials consider this condition to be utterly intolerable.
As talks continue, we’ve seen many key players make statements about the ongoing situation. French President Emmanuel Macron highlighted that the proposals are useful to understand what Russia would be tempted to do. He was adamant that they need not seek consensus from Ukraine or Europe. What was offered up on the other side tells us what would be palatable for the Russians. Does that mean that’s all they get, that’s all that needs to be accepted by the Ukrainians and the Europeans? The answer is no,” Macron stated.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy would certainly be keen to continue such discussions with former President Trump. He still wants to close some remaining, open deals. He affirmed that “the principles in this document can be developed into deeper agreements,” signaling openness to negotiation if it leads to a resolution.
In the midst of all of these discussions, Zelenskyy stood firm on the point that decisions about Ukraine’s future should be made by Ukraine. He remarked, “security decisions about [Europe] must include Europe,” reinforcing the necessity of regional involvement in any proposed solutions.
Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Kremlin, remained non-committal regarding the ongoing negotiations, stating, “I have nothing to say. We are following the media reports.” This reply suggests that Russia would like to signal restraint as negotiations continue under U.S.
As diplomatic channels remain active, Rustem Umerov reported that “our delegations reached a common understanding on the core terms of the agreement discussed in Geneva.” This capital for mediation statement is a very positive development, reflecting agreement on both sides, as the negotiators look for areas of mutual agreement.
The stakes are enormous. Global scrutiny is still on these talks to see how they will shape up. The international community watches closely for any indication of progress toward peace in Ukraine amid persistent tensions and demands from both Russia and Ukraine.