Ukraine and Russia signal private flexibility before Abu Dhabi talks, BBC reports
US officials say territorial questions remain tied to postwar security arrangements as Ukrainian, Russian and American representatives prepare to meet.
By Hassan Ellis ·
Russia and Ukraine have privately indicated some flexibility over control of Ukraine's eastern regions ahead of peace negotiations in Abu Dhabi, the BBC reported, citing US officials. The talks, scheduled for 10 and 11 November, will bring together senior representatives from Kyiv, Moscow and Washington for their first trilateral negotiations since February.
The meetings come as the fifth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion approaches. Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law, is joining peace envoy Steve Witkoff in the US delegation. Kushner said the discussions would address the security concerns of both Ukraine and Russia after the war.
Neither Moscow nor Kyiv has publicly conceded ground on its demands, according to the BBC. However, a US official suggested their public positions did not fully reflect the flexibility shown privately. The official said a settlement on Donetsk and other territorial questions would depend on establishing the security arrangements that would follow the conflict, with neither issue capable of being finalised separately.
The BBC said those arrangements could have different implications for the two countries. Ukraine could seek guarantees that allies would help it if it faced another attack. Russia could pursue its longstanding aim of compelling NATO to withdraw from Eastern Europe, a possibility that would alarm European countries.
A proposed framework agreement includes consultations on security, channels for communication during crises and measures for both sides to reduce tensions. Officials have also raised the possibility of restoring the NATO-Russia Council, whose work has effectively been suspended since 2022. According to the BBC, Washington intends to propose a broader negotiating format involving European countries, although the US official acknowledged Russian reluctance to engage with them.
Representatives of the European Commission, European Council, Germany, France and the UK are expected to attend the Abu Dhabi talks at security adviser level. The NATO secretary general's chief of staff will also attend. Kushner and Witkoff are scheduled to meet European representatives before the trilateral discussions begin.
Ukraine's delegation will include Foreign Intelligence Service chief Rustem Umierov and Kyrylo Budanov, head of the President's Office. They will be joined by Serhii Kyslytsia, first deputy head of the President's Office; Vadym Skibitskyi, deputy head of Defence Intelligence; and Davyd Arakhamiia, who leads the Servant of the People parliamentary faction.
The Ukrainian side does not anticipate a breakthrough at the initial meeting with Russian and US representatives, but hopes the second round will deliver progress. After a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff on 9 November, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian troops were strengthening the country's position in negotiations.
