Russia, Ukraine wrap first day of US-led Abu Dhabi talks

Russian, Ukrainian and US negotiators finished the first of two days of talks in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, November 10. It was the first trilateral meeting since February, and Washington is trying again to end a war that is nearing its fifth year. The session lasted nearly four hours, NPR reported, citing Russia's RIA Novosti. Talks are set to resume Wednesday, November 11. Both sides offered upbeat words after the first day, but the main disputes over territory and security remain unresolved.nprillinois.org

Upbeat words, few details

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the talks "constructive and quite substantive," AFP reported. He said his team told him the discussions covered humanitarian issues and security guarantees. Speaking in Paris after a G7 meeting, Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the talks "very productive." He said the format "should eventually include our European partners at the table as well, because they are a part of solving this problem for the long term," according to RFE/RL.afp.com+1

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are mediating. Kushner told delegates that Washington had "narrowed the gaps" between the two sides but did not give details, RFE/RL reported. He said the aim was to "create a new framework" that could bring "decades, if not centuries, of peace". Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky leads Russia's delegation, and Rustem Umerov leads Ukraine's. Before the main session, Umerov met with officials from the UK, France, Germany, Italy, NATO and the European Commission.rferl.org+2

Donetsk and security still divide the sides

Donetsk remains the central dispute. Moscow wants Ukraine to give up the parts of the region it still holds, while Kyiv wants to freeze the current front line, the BBC reported. A US official told the BBC that both sides had privately shown "a little bit of flexibility." The official added that the two issues are linked: "They will not settle the Donetsk and territorial issues until they determine what the post-war security framework will look like." According to the same official, the US will push to widen the talks to include European countries.bbc.com

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov rejected European calls for a ceasefire. "We will not agree to this," he said, according to CBS News. Zelenskyy said on Telegram that the US had asked whether Kyiv would "trade the Donbas for security," offering protection "similar" to NATO membership but not membership itself.cbsnews.com

A restart after months of stalled diplomacy

The previous round, held in Geneva in February, ended without a breakthrough. Diplomacy then stalled after the US-Israeli war with Iran drew Washington's attention away, the BBC noted. Putin agreed to restart the three-way talks when he met Witkoff in October, according to Bloomberg. Meanwhile, Russia keeps striking Ukraine's energy infrastructure almost daily, which raises the risk of a harsh winter for Ukrainian civilians.rferl.org+2

Zelenskyy has said he doubts that giving up territory would bring lasting peace. "No one believes that Putin will stop if we give up the Donbas," he said. "He might pause — but then he will return in a year, two years or five years".cbsnews.com