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Reporter Laura Gozzi
High-level talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States aimed at ending the war in Ukraine concluded two days in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on the 11th. Although the United States said it had seen "several opportunities," there were no signs of a breakthrough toward ending the nearly five-year war that began in the wake of the Russian invasion.
Meanwhile, Russian and Ukrainian negotiators both acknowledged that a major prisoner exchange is planned and could take place soon.
David Alhamia, head of the Ukraine negotiators, said the first talks between the three countries since February were "one of the most difficult talks."
"The Russian side came with very strict directives, so it was extremely difficult to calm the atmosphere of the discussion," Alhamia said. He said he felt "good momentum" and called for the next round of talks to be held as soon as possible.
Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky, on the other hand, was less conciliatory. "For now...a lot depends on the positions of Ukraine and the United States, and whether Europe comes to its senses," Medinsky said.
After talks in the UAE, it was announced that Jared Kushner, the husband of US President Donald Trump's daughter, and peace envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Russia on the 12th to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. It was also announced that he would then meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Dublin, Ireland.
At the talks in Abu Dhabi this time, Europe's "security system" was the central topic of discussion.
For Ukraine, this could include guarantees that friendly countries would come to its aid if it were attacked again, even though it is not a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
For Russia, on the other hand, the restructured "security framework" is likely to include limits on NATO's influence in Eastern Europe. Russia has long been concerned about NATO's eastward expansion.
Kushner said earlier this week that the United States wants to "build a new security framework" that can "ensure lasting peace" between Ukraine, Russia and Europe. In response, Russia's Medinsky said the world needed a "new" and "just" security system.
Medinsky said the framework would function as a "new Yalta and Potsdam talks." This refers to the summit meeting in the 1940s in which the victorious Allied Powers divided postwar Europe into spheres of influence.
Ukraine and Europe have long been concerned about the current U.S. Trump administration's stance on European security and its tendency to soften toward Russia.
During the two-day trilateral talks, representatives from the United Kingdom, NATO and European Union member states also visited Abu Dhabi and met with negotiators from the United States and Ukraine. Meanwhile, the Russian delegation, with which the EU does not officially communicate, said it had not had any contact with these representatives.
Russia has so far downplayed European involvement in peace talks. However, the Europeans have insisted that they play a central role in all postwar dynamics on the continent.
Many countries, especially in Eastern Europe, feel that their security is closely tied to Ukraine's. A German government spokesperson said on the 11th that the agreement could not be implemented "unless it is agreed upon by NATO members."
Mr. Kushner said he wanted to include European countries in this framework and that his meeting with President Putin would include "bringing them into this framework."
There are also disagreements over whether there should be a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine ahead of talks on a future security framework, as European countries and Ukraine hope, or whether fighting should stop only after an agreement is reached, as Russia insists.
But any agreement on a peacetime security framework is predicated on the end of war, Kushner noted. But he added that this would not happen "until there is an agreement on all territorial and other bilateral issues."
The biggest obstacle to any solution since talks began last year has been Donetsk Oblast in eastern Ukraine, which is largely occupied by Russia. Ukraine says the areas are critical to its future security and has called for a freeze on the border between the two powers to keep them under its control.
Russia, on the other hand, continues to demand that Ukraine relinquish areas within the state that it continues to occupy. Medinsky said "every inch" of the region "will be returned to Russia in one form or another."
While Kushner acknowledged that the territorial issue remains the most difficult challenge, Kirillo Budanov, Zelenskiy's chief of staff and negotiator, declined to say whether Russia still demands the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the region.
Budanov later acknowledged that the talks had been "difficult" and said Ukraine's top priority was to prevent Russia from attacking again.
"These transactions are very difficult and complex, and this case is particularly emotional and complex," Kushner said. "The reality is that there is currently no trust between the two sides, which is to be expected after a conflict like this."
(English article Russia-Ukraine talks turn to post-war security but end without breakthrough)
