Trilateral talks involving Ukraine, Russia and the United States aimed at ending the war in Ukraine have resumed in Abu Dhabi, with US officials saying both sides have privately shown some flexibility over the disputed eastern territories.
The discussions come amid continuing disagreements over the future of Ukraine’s Donetsk region, which is largely occupied by Russia, and the security arrangements that would govern both countries after the war.
A US official said Moscow and Kyiv had shown “a little bit of flexibility, privately” on territorial control, although neither side had publicly withdrawn its demands.
“They will not solve the Donetsk issue and the territorial issue until they know what the security architecture is going to be after the war.”
Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and a member of the American delegation alongside special envoy Steve Witkoff, said the discussions would focus on addressing the postwar security concerns of both countries.
“An important part of this process is encouraging all parties to begin thinking seriously about what comes after the war,” Kushner wrote on X.
Russia wants Ukraine to surrender the remaining parts of Donetsk under its control, while Kyiv wants to freeze the current front line to retain those territories, which it considers important to its future security.
The US official said neither issue could be resolved independently of an agreement on postwar security arrangements.
“Keep in mind, we’re not going to be able to finalise one without the other,” the official said.
The proposed security framework includes consultations between the countries, crisis communication hotlines and reciprocal measures to reduce tensions.
US officials also raised the possibility of reactivating the NATO-Russia Council, which has largely been suspended since 2022.
For Ukraine, postwar security guarantees could include assurances that its allies would come to its defence if Russia launched another attack.
Russia, on the other hand, has long sought a reduction in NATO’s presence in eastern Europe, a position that has raised concerns among European countries.
Ahead of the trilateral meeting, Witkoff and Kushner held discussions with Ukrainian, European and NATO officials in Abu Dhabi.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot insisted that France, the United Kingdom and Germany would be represented in the discussions.
He said the three countries “will indeed be in the meeting room”.
European leaders have expressed concern about being excluded from negotiations that could determine the future security of their continent.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on Monday for NATO allies and European Union members to be included in “meaningful discussions about Europe’s security architecture.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also repeatedly called for European countries to participate in the negotiations.
The US official said Washington would propose expanding the discussions into a multilateral format that includes European countries.
“Hopefully we’ll get the Russians on board,” the official said, while acknowledging that “the Russians have a bad taste in their mouth with the Europeans.”
The latest talks follow an earlier round of negotiations in Geneva in February, which ended without a breakthrough.
Discussions were subsequently interrupted after the US-Israel war on Iran diverted Washington’s attention from the conflict.
Trump has led several diplomatic efforts to end Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine since returning to office, despite limited progress.
His increasingly conciliatory approach towards Moscow has raised concerns in Kyiv and across the European Union about whether any agreement would protect Ukraine’s interests.
After meeting Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev in Washington last week, Trump described a proposed deal on Ukraine as a “big, beautiful agreement” that “might involve all of Europe”.
But Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksandr Merezhko, who chairs parliament’s foreign affairs committee, told reporters that he feared Trump was pursuing an agreement that would come at Ukraine’s expense.
He said Trump wanted “a quick deal at the expense of Ukraine”, which Kyiv would reject.
Merezhko argued that Russia would only negotiate seriously if faced with greater pressure through sanctions and military strikes deep inside its territory.
“While Putin has a war machine up and running, he has no incentives to negotiate.”
He also criticised Trump’s reported agreement to buy diesel from Russia, arguing that such moves encouraged Moscow to continue the war.
The diplomatic efforts are taking place as Russian forces continue attacks on Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure.
Kyiv views the bombardments as an attempt to weaken the country and pressure its government into accepting an agreement on Moscow’s terms.
Russia’s delegation to the Abu Dhabi talks includes Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky, Deputy Foreign Ministers Sergei Ryabkov and Mikhail Galuzin, intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov and army general Yury Zhigarlovsky.
Ukraine is represented by senior officials who have participated in previous negotiations, including Foreign Intelligence Service head Rustem Umerov, Zelensky’s chief of staff Kyrylo Budanov and lawmaker Davyd Arakhamiya.
Kushner said the talks were intended to create momentum for further negotiations rather than guarantee an immediate agreement.
“This is an extraordinarily difficult and complicated conflict,” he wrote on X, adding that the United States was “approaching these discussions with determination and realism.”
Erizia Rubyjeana
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