Ukraine and Russia reported some progress following two days of US-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi that concluded on November 11. However, US negotiators pointed to a lack of trust between the sides and serious differences, particularly over territory.
This was reported by Reuters.
The main concrete outcome of the meetings was an agreement on a major prisoner-of-war exchange. These were the first talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations in nine months.
US representative Jared Kushner said the sides had identified areas where compromises might be possible, although some disagreements would require further discussions.
“The reality is there is no trust right now between the sides and that is to be expected after a conflict like this,” Kushner said.
He described territorial issues as the hardest to resolve. Russia continues to demand that Ukraine surrender the entire Donbas region, while Kyiv rejects those demands. Negotiators also discussed post-war security guarantees, mechanisms for monitoring a ceasefire and the future security architecture in Europe.
“Some areas we see places where we can find compromises, other we need to have more discussions, but I think this was a very good step,” he said.
Kushner said he and Steve Witkoff would travel to Moscow on November 12 for talks with Vladimir Putin. One of the issues on the agenda will be expanding the negotiating format to include European countries. After Moscow, the US representatives plan to meet with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Ireland.
Ukrainian negotiator Davyd Arakhamia described the meetings as difficult. He said the Russian delegation had arrived with strict directives, significantly limiting the room for agreements.
“When you’re told there’s no space for trade, that’s why it’s tough. Normally, you come with a corridor of choices, but this time it was very rigid,” Arakhamia explained.
At the same time, he said the talks had generated good momentum towards finding a solution before the end of the year, without providing further details.
Arakhamia also stressed that future meetings should include European representatives. Although European officials and NATO representatives held consultations with the Ukrainian and US delegations in Abu Dhabi, the Russian side refused to meet with them.
Russia’s chief negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, confirmed that some understanding had been reached on certain issues but expressed skepticism about involving Europeans in the talks.
Kushner also commented on the possibility of a face-to-face meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin. According to him, Moscow wants to see more progress in the negotiations before such a meeting takes place.
“Clearly, there’s not great trust or love between the leaders,” the US representative said.
Kushner noted that only the leaders themselves could make the final decisions and that a face-to-face meeting would be an important step in the negotiation process.
