Negotiations between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Russian officials, and US representatives in Abu Dhabi are marking a crucial step towards ending the nearly four-year-old conflict. The talks centered on territory, with both sides insisting that their demands be met.
Zelenskyy emphasized that Russia must be willing to end the war it started, rather than focusing solely on Ukrainian concessions. He also noted that territorial disputes would be a central issue in the discussions but stressed that "the most important thing is that Russia should be ready to end this war, which it started." The Ukrainian delegation has expressed hope for progress in the talks.
Meanwhile, Russia's position remains unchanged: they demand that the Ukrainian army leave the Donbas region. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia's insistence on yielding all of Donbas – including 20% of Donetsk under Ukrainian control – was a "very important condition."
Russia's delegation at the UAE talks consists mainly of military officials, while Putin's envoy Kirill Dmitriev will hold separate talks with US representative Steve Witkoff on economic issues.
In parallel to these high-level discussions, lower-level talks between US President Donald Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner have taken place. According to Trump, both sides are now willing to reach an agreement. However, Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yury Ushakov contradicted this by stating that a long-term settlement cannot be expected without resolving the territorial issue.
The conflict has led to devastating consequences for Ukraine, including widespread power outages and civilian casualties due to Russian attacks on energy infrastructure. Despite these ongoing challenges, Zelenskyy's office reported a decrease in violence during the talks.
Representatives from the US and other international organizations will continue monitoring the situation, seeking a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
Zelenskyy emphasized that Russia must be willing to end the war it started, rather than focusing solely on Ukrainian concessions. He also noted that territorial disputes would be a central issue in the discussions but stressed that "the most important thing is that Russia should be ready to end this war, which it started." The Ukrainian delegation has expressed hope for progress in the talks.
Meanwhile, Russia's position remains unchanged: they demand that the Ukrainian army leave the Donbas region. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia's insistence on yielding all of Donbas – including 20% of Donetsk under Ukrainian control – was a "very important condition."
Russia's delegation at the UAE talks consists mainly of military officials, while Putin's envoy Kirill Dmitriev will hold separate talks with US representative Steve Witkoff on economic issues.
In parallel to these high-level discussions, lower-level talks between US President Donald Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner have taken place. According to Trump, both sides are now willing to reach an agreement. However, Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yury Ushakov contradicted this by stating that a long-term settlement cannot be expected without resolving the territorial issue.
The conflict has led to devastating consequences for Ukraine, including widespread power outages and civilian casualties due to Russian attacks on energy infrastructure. Despite these ongoing challenges, Zelenskyy's office reported a decrease in violence during the talks.
Representatives from the US and other international organizations will continue monitoring the situation, seeking a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
!!! It's about time Russia and Ukraine talk things out! I mean, four years of war is just crazy 
. Zelenskyy is totally right, Russia needs to be willing to end the war it started, not just asking Ukraine to make concessions 
. And 20% of Donetsk under Ukrainian control? That's a big ask 
.
. It's not gonna be easy, but I think we're finally seeing some progress 
. Trump saying both sides are willing to reach an agreement is huge 
! We gotta keep our fingers crossed for Ukraine, they've been through so much 
.
. I'm not sure what economic issues will be discussed, but I'm down to learn 
. Let's just hope it all adds up to real progress 
.
. I mean, Russia's still being pretty firm on their demands for Donbas, like it's a non-negotiable thing 
. Zelenskyy seems to be taking a more diplomatic approach though, hoping that Russia will come around and end the war it started 
At least Trump says both sides are willing to reach an agreement, which sounds nice, but we've heard that before 
.
I'm super excited about this development - it feels like we might actually be seeing some progress on the Ukraine conflict 
! The fact that Zelenskyy is pushing for Russia to take responsibility for starting the war instead of making all the concessions is a really bold move 
.
Are there going-to-be separate style guides for peace talks or war scenarios?
. Zelenskyy is right, Russia needs to take responsibility for starting the war - it can't just be all about Ukraine giving up land 
. And I'm glad to see lower-level talks happening with Trump and Kushner too... a peaceful resolution would mean so much more than just some high-level words of encouragement 
. Fingers crossed that we'll start seeing some real change soon 
. Maybe, just maybe, this is the breakthrough we've been waiting for 
.
. this four-year conflict has been draining both ukraine and russia, not to mention the innocent civilians caught in the middle 
. if zelenskyy is willing to negotiate and russia can back down on some of its demands (like donbas being off-limits), maybe we'll finally see a glimmer of hope for peace 
... think its good they're talking about ending this war that's been going on for ages 
... not sure if Russia is gonna give up on Donbas tho 
. The fact that there are lower-level talks with Jared Kushner is interesting, but I'm not sure how much impact those will have 
. But at the same time, Russia's demands are pretty reasonable I guess, 20% of Donetsk being Ukrainian territory is a big concession 
Still holding out hope for peace, though! 
. The fact that Ukraine wants to maintain control over 20% of Donetsk doesn't seem like an outlandish demand. And let's be real, the Donbas region has been a hot mess for years before Putin even got involved 
. It's not like Ukraine was just peacefully living there 
. I know it's hard to swallow, but we can't keep blaming one side forever 
.