Ukraine and Russia will not discuss a ceasefire during talks in Abu Dhabi, according to media

Negotiations led by the United States to end the war between Russia and Ukraine will resume on 10 November in Abu Dhabi. However, a ceasefire will not be on the agenda.

Talks in Abu Dhabi After a nine-month pause, talks on ending the war in Ukraine are set to resume on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, the publication writes. Earlier, the process stalled due to Ukraine’s unwillingness to make territorial concessions to Russia and the start of the war of the United States and Israel against Iran. This week the negotiators will focus on security guarantees to prevent a resumption of the war in the event of a ceasefire, officials in the United States stated. The idea is to step away from territorial claims and consider broader issues of European security. The process is led by Steve Whitcoff, the administration’s Special Representative for Peace, and Jared Kushner, son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump. Will Europeans participate? French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian stated that his country would participate. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov disputed this. On Saturday, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell stated that “any agreement would require EU involvement for its implementation.” Russia’s attempts in 2021 and at the beginning of 2022 year to reach a grand deal on European security failed, the publication noted. What will they discuss? Whitcoff said the talks will focus on a “post-war security agreement, de-escalation” and humanitarian issues. The negotiators will also consider whether Russia’s participation in shaping the post-war regional security architecture could soften its demands to end the war against Ukraine. What could come next? Many analysts do not expect any breakthrough in the talks before spring. It is then that Russia will be able to assess the results of its winter bombing campaign in Ukraine. Ukraine, in turn, is attacking refineries and other oil-processing facilities to destroy Russia’s oil dependence. “The question is: ‘Has Putin realized that he has a problem?’” said William Taylor, former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, referring to Russia’s failures on the front. Currently, as he notes, he has not realized it because Russia is not softening its demands and shows no signs of seeking a ceasefire. “There are no signs of interest,” he said.

Earlier, RBK-Ukraine reported that the Ukrainian negotiating delegation had departed for the Abu Dhabi meetings. A trilateral format of talks involving Ukraine, the United States, and Russia is planned for Tuesday and Wednesday. In addition, European countries do not have a unified position on the level at which the continent should be represented at the talks in Abu Dhabi. It was also reported that the Russian side confirmed that security issues for Ukraine, Russia, and the entire region would be the main topic of discussions in Abu Dhabi. The Ukrainian delegation will be led by Rustem Umerov, head of the State Security Service. It also includes Kyrylo Budanov, head of the President’s Office; David Arakhamia, Serhiy Kislytsia, and Vadym Skibitsky.