The United States has asked Russia to present a new plan for security arrangements with Europe to ease tensions stemming from the Ukraine war. Delegations from the US, Russia, and Ukraine concluded two days of talks in Abu Dhabi, where participants reported progress on post-ceasefire security guarantees and a large-scale prisoner exchange.
The diplomatic push involves US negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff acting as intermediaries between Moscow and Kyiv. Following the meetings in Abu Dhabi, the American envoys are scheduled to travel to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Poetin and then to Dublin to confer with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, De Telegraaf reported.
Zelensky, who spoke from Ireland where an informal EU summit is taking place this week, said that “veel zal afhangen van de dialoog tussen de Amerikaanse en Russische zijde morgen”.
Negotiations in Abu Dhabi
Delegations wrapped up their second day of talks in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. Tuesday’s session lasted 4.5 hours, while Wednesday’s meeting concluded in slightly under two hours. Russian and Ukrainian officials discussed a diplomatic resolution to the conflict that began in February 2022. Vladimir Medinski led the Russian delegation, while intelligence chief Roestem Oemjerov headed the Ukrainian team. The discussions between Kyiv and Moscow are the first since February.
“There is what is progress made and there are more talks coming,” said Vladimir Medinski, head of the Russian delegation, after the session.
Davyd Arakhamia, a top Ukrainian negotiator and faction leader for President Zelensky’s party, described the discussions as very difficult. However, he expressed optimism that a solution with Russia could be reached before the end of the year.
Demands on European Security
During the negotiations, the United States asked the Kremlin to take concrete steps to reduce tensions with European nations through a renewed security framework.
Kushner advocated for an inclusive security framework involving the European Union and NATO. He suggested that designating a single European representative to speak for the bloc would streamline the diplomatic process.
“We must have the Europeans at the table,” Kushner said.
Meanwhile, Russia continued to demand that Western nations halt military buildups on NATO’s eastern flank and insisted it will not surrender occupied Ukrainian territories.
Prisoner Exchange Emerges Alongside Regional Attacks
Amid the diplomatic talks, practical agreements emerged alongside ongoing hostilities. Both sides agreed to a substantial prisoner exchange involving approximately 2,000 detainees, which could take place within two weeks. A Russian attack on a crowded market in Chornomorsk within the Odessa region killed three people and injured eleven others on Wednesday.
In the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, authorities in Latvia and Lithuania warned residents of several regions to take shelter as unknown drones crossed the airspace from Russia or Belarus, prompting the deployment of NATO fighter jets.
| Event / Metric | Details |
|---|---|
| Talks Location | Abu Dhabi |
| Intermediaries | Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff |
| Planned Prisoner Exchange | Approx. 2,000 detainees |
| Timeline Discussed | Potential solution before end of year |
