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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the future of Ukraine\u2019s eastern Donbas region would be a key focus as negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the United States meet in Abu Dhabi for talks to end Russia\u2019s nearly four-year full-scale invasion.<\/p>\n
The UAE\u2019s foreign ministry said the talks, which commenced on Friday and were scheduled to continue Saturday, were part of efforts “to promote dialogue and identify political solutions to the crisis.\u201d The White House described the talks as productive.<\/p>\n
Just hours before the three-way talks began, Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed a Ukraine settlement with U.S. President Donald Trump\u2019s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner during marathon overnight talks. The Kremlin insisted that to reach a peace deal, Kyiv must withdraw its troops from the areas in the east that Russia illegally annexed but has not fully captured.<\/p>\n
Zelenskyy said after meeting with Trump on Thursday in Davos, Switzerland, that while the future status of land in eastern Ukraine currently occupied by Russia remains unresolved, the peace proposals are \u201cnearly ready.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also reiterated his openness to establishing a free trade zone under Ukraine\u2019s control in the country\u2019s east, adding that he discussed the proposal with Trump. \u201cI think it will be positive for our business,” Zelenskyy told reporters.<\/p>\n
Friday is the first known time that officials from the Trump administration simultaneously met with negotiators from both Ukraine and Russia. While it\u2019s unclear how the talks will unfold and many obstacles to peace remain, some see it as a sign that the parties are making headway in closing a deal.<\/p>\n
Speaking in his evening address to the nation late Friday, Zelenskyy said the Ukrainian delegation at the talks reported to him \u201calmost every hour.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are discussing the parameters for ending the war,” Zelenskyy said. “Now, they should at least get some answers from Russia, and the most important thing is that Russia should be ready to end this war, which it itself started.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added that it was too early to draw conclusions about Friday’s talks and he would see how they go on Saturday.<\/p>\n
“It\u2019s not just about Ukraine\u2019s desire to end this war and achieve full security \u2014 it\u2019s also about Russia somehow developing a similar desire,\u201d Zelenskyy said.<\/p>\n
The Kremlin offered little detail beyond calling Friday\u2019s meeting a \u201cworking group on security issues.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reaffirmed that Russia’s demand for the Ukrainian troops’ withdrawal from the eastern Donbas region is an \u201cimportant condition,\u201d adding that there are other \u201cnuances\u201d on the agenda that he wouldn’t specify.<\/p>\n
Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov, who participated in Putin\u2019s meeting with Witkoff and Kushner, said \u201cit was reaffirmed that reaching a long-term settlement can\u2019t be expected without solving the territorial issue.\u201d He described the talks with the U.S. as \u201cfrank, constructive\u201d and \u201cfruitful.\u201d<\/p>\n
Russia\u2019s state Tass news agency reported that the discussions included possible buffer zones and control measures.<\/p>\n
Peskov told reporters that the Russian delegation, headed by Adm. Igor Kostyukov, is comprised of military officials. Separately, Putin\u2019s envoy Kirill Dmitriev will hold talks with Witkoff on economic issues, Peskov added.<\/p>\n
The U.S. has confirmed Witkoff and Kushner are attending the talks in Abu Dhabi along with Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and NATO\u2019s top general, U.S. Air Force Gen. Alexus Grynkewich.<\/p>\n
The Ukrainian team includes Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine\u2019s national security and defense council; Andrii Hnatov, chief of the general staff; and Kyrylo Budanov, head of the presidential office.<\/p>\n
Hours before the Kremin talks, Zelenskyy met with Trump behind closed doors for about an hour at the World Economic Forum in Davos, describing the meeting as \u201cproductive and meaningful.\u201d<\/p>\n
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One as he flew back to Washington, Trump said the meeting went well, adding that both Putin and Zelenskyy want to reach a deal and that \u201ceveryone\u2019s making concessions\u201d to try to end the war.<\/p>\n
He said the sticking points remain the same as they\u2019ve been during talks held during the past six or seven months, noting \u201cboundaries\u201d was a key issue. \u201cThe main hold-up is the same things that\u2019s been holding it up for the last year,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Russia\u2019s bigger army has managed to capture about 20% of Ukraine since hostilities began in 2014 and its full-scale invasion of 2022. But the battlefield gains along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line have been costly for Moscow, and the Russian economy is feeling the consequences of the war and international sanctions.<\/p>\n
Ukraine is short of money and, despite significantly boosting its own arms manufacturing, still needs Western weaponry. It is also short-handed on the front line. Its defense minister last week reported some 200,000 troop desertions, and draft-dodging by about 2 million Ukrainians.<\/p>\n
Addressing the World Economic Forum on Thursday after meeting with Trump, Zelenskyy listed a litany of grievances and criticisms of Europe.<\/p>\n
He chided Europe for being slow to act on key decisions, spending too little on defense, failing to stop Russia\u2019s \u201dshadow fleet\u201d of oil tankers that are breaking international sanctions, and balking at using its frozen assets in Europe to finance Ukraine, among other things.<\/p>\n
\u201cEurope looks lost,\u201d Zelenskyy said in his speech, urging the continent to become a global force. He contrasted Europe\u2019s response with Washington\u2019s bold steps in Venezuela and Iran.<\/p>\n
The former comic actor referred to the movie \u201cGroundhog Day,\u201d in which the main character must relive the same day over and over again.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust last year, here in Davos, I ended my speech with the words: Europe needs to know how to defend itself. A year has passed. And nothing has changed. We are still in a situation where I must say the same words again,\u201d Zelenskyy said.<\/p>\n
___<\/p>\n
Hrabchuk reported from Kyiv, Ukraine, and Manenkov from Davos, Switzerland. Josh Boak on Air Force One, Meg Kinnard in Houston and Aamer Madhani, Konstantin Toropin and Ali Swenson in Washington contributed to this report.<\/p>\n
This story was originally featured on Fortune.com<\/p>\n
#Threewaytalks #Ukraine #Russia #U.S #held #Abu #Dhabi #diplomatic<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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