Ukrainian and Russian delegations sat down in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday for the first direct negotiations in more than eight months, reopening a diplomatic track that was suspended in late February after Israeli-American strikes on Iran and the outbreak of war in the Middle East.
The two-day round, running Tuesday and Wednesday under American mediation, is being held with the faint but persistent hope of moving toward a diplomatic resolution to a conflict now approaching its fifth year.
Zelensky Grants Delegation Broad Mandate
Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council secretary announced on Telegram that the Ukrainian delegation had received a mandate from President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss all issues related to ending the war. Kyiv’s lead negotiator, Rustem Umerov, said the talks would begin with a session bringing together representatives of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, NATO and the European Commission, joined by US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
“We will compare our positions and coordinate our actions ahead of the next stage of negotiations,” Umerov wrote on X, describing Kyiv’s core priorities as “the cessation of hostilities, reliable post-war security guarantees, economic reconstruction and development of Ukraine, as well as humanitarian measures.”
Trilateral talks involving Ukraine, the United States and Russia are expected to follow the initial coordination meetings.
Europeans Insist on a Seat at the Table
European powers, determined not to be sidelined, are also dispatching representatives to the Emirati capital for separate talks with the Ukrainian and American delegations. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot told franceinfo that France, Germany and Britain “will indeed be in the meeting room,” adding that “not only are the Europeans around the table, they are around all the tables.”
France will be represented by Emmanuel Bonne and Xavier Chatel, members of President Emmanuel Macron’s diplomatic team, according to the Élysée. The presidential office said Paris was working “hand in hand with the Ukrainians” to uphold a core principle: “the search for peace in Ukraine and security in Europe are inextricably linked. There can be no lasting settlement in Ukraine without taking European security into account, nor any agreement on security in Europe without the Europeans.”
Trump Predicts a ‘Very Big Deal’
The resumption comes against a backdrop of sharp rhetoric from Washington. President Donald Trump predicted last week a “very big deal” with Russia over Ukraine, one that could “encompass all of Europe.” He has criticised Kyiv sharply in recent weeks and is accused of seeking to prioritise economic cooperation with the Kremlin. Ukraine and its European partners responded to the vague remarks by declaring their opposition to any agreement struck behind their backs.
Fighting Continues Despite Diplomacy
Even as negotiators convened, the weapons did not fall silent. Ukraine’s army announced on Telegram that Russia had launched 135 drones against its territory overnight. Kyiv’s chief of staff, Kyrylo Budanov, arrived in Abu Dhabi saying that “the road is still long, a lot of difficult work lies ahead of us, but the main thing is to achieve concrete results.”
Zelensky is due in Denmark on Wednesday to discuss air defence and energy security with Nordic leaders, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said, declaring herself “proud to welcome President Zelensky and the Nordic leaders.”
In Paris, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha met his French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot before holding talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, reporting afterwards that they had covered “the full range of priorities, from strengthening energy resilience to support for defence, including sanctions against Russia.”
The previous round of talks, held in Geneva, dates back to February and produced no substantive results before contacts were frozen by the wider Middle East war.
