Abu Dhabi Talks Resume as Ukraine and Russia Face 1,721 Days of War
Delegations gather in the UAE to negotiate security guarantees and territory, while Moscow and Kyiv remain divided on the core terms of a settlement.
By Takeshi Faure ·
The full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia has reached 1,721 days as American, Ukrainian, and Russian negotiators convened in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. President Donald Trump’s administration aims to secure a diplomatic breakthrough, a goal that has eluded the White House since Trump took office with a promise to end the conflict within 24 hours. Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner lead the U.S. delegation, while Rustem Umerov heads the Ukrainian team. Vladimir Medinsky directs the Russian group. The gathering marks the latest effort to bridge a widening gap that has persisted since the first trilateral meeting in Geneva in February 2026.
The central friction points involve territorial control and long-term security architecture. Moscow insists that Ukraine withdraw from the four regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson, which the Kremlin annexed in September 2022. Russia also demands that Ukraine be permanently barred from joining NATO and that it limit the size and capabilities of its military. Kyiv rejects any deal that lacks concrete security guarantees from the United States and other NATO allies. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine must retain the right to determine its own armed forces and future security arrangements, including potential NATO membership.
Trump recently suggested that a peace agreement might result in a Ukraine with a slightly different shape. He attributed the delay primarily to the personal enmity between Putin and Zelenskyy, describing the tension as tremendous hatred. The president told CBS News on Sunday that he believes the war will end soon because of his involvement. However, a U.S. official described the current mood as cautiously optimistic, noting that both parties remain skeptical of each other's intentions. The official characterized the Abu Dhabi meeting as a jumping-off point for more complex negotiations rather than a final resolution.
Ukrainian officials have voiced deep concerns about the U.S. negotiating stance. Oleksandr Merezhko, chair of the Ukrainian parliament's foreign affairs committee, said he has absolutely no hopes for tangible results from the current talks. He argued that Putin is using the meetings to imitate negotiations to avoid new sanctions from Trump. Merezhko contended that the Russian goal is not a ceasefire but the subjection of Ukraine and the installation of a Russian puppet regime in Kyiv. He noted that tangible results are limited to possible prisoner-of-war exchanges.
The diplomatic efforts unfold against a backdrop of intensified military operations. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that security issues for the region will be at the top of the agenda. He said participants would work toward principles for a comprehensive settlement. European leaders, including the French and German foreign ministers, are also participating, though Peskov maintained the format remains trilateral. Zelenskyy spoke with European Commission President Ursula von Der Leyen ahead of the meetings. The Ukrainian presidential website stated that Kyiv is doing everything to ensure the trilateral format delivers results.
Military activity continues along the 745-mile frontline. Ukrainian forces have launched counterattacks in the Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions, liberating hundreds of miles of occupied territory. Both nations have expanded long-range strike campaigns in 2026. Overnight into Tuesday, Ukraine's air force reported that Russia launched 162 drones and one ballistic missile. Ukrainian forces shot down or suppressed 135 of the drones. Impacts were reported across 19 locations. Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces downed at least 155 Ukrainian drones during the same period.
The war has outlasted both World War I and the Soviet Union's confrontation with Nazi Germany. Russian officials describe the conflict as a direct contest with the NATO alliance. NATO nations added Sweden and Finland as members and increased collective military spending. The invasion, initially termed a special military operation, was intended to dismember Ukraine and install a pliant government. Instead, it has become a prolonged war of attrition with escalating civilian casualties and a steady increase in drone and missile exchanges across the shared border.
