Zelensky said that the talks concern the parameters of ending the war, but the key remains whether Russia is ready to end the conflict that it itself started. “The most important thing is that the Russian side develops the desire to end this war and achieve full security“, he noted. The President of Ukraine added that he receives reports almost every hour from his representatives negotiating in Abu Dhabi.
The rest of the article is below the video:
The Ukrainian delegation includes, among others: Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Rustem Umerov, Head of the President's Office Kyrylo Budanov and Davyd Arakhamiya, leader of the parliamentary faction of the Servant of the People party. General Andriy Hnatov and a representative of Ukrainian military intelligence, Vadym Skibicki, are also expected to join the talks.
Read also: Poland among world leaders in helping Ukraine. The minister announced the amounts
American and Russian negotiators
The American side is represented by special envoy for peacekeeping missions Steve Witkoff, former US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and Dan Driscoll, deputy head of the Pentagon for ground forces. On Friday, Witkoff and Kushner met in Moscow with Vladimir Putin and his advisers Kirill Dmitriev and Yuri Ushakov. According to Russian media, negotiators on behalf of Moscow include: Dmitriev, who serves as Putin's special envoy for investment and economic cooperation, and the head of the Russian military intelligence GRU, Igor Kostyukov.
Putin's advisers described the talks as “constructive and important”, but did not disclose details. In turn, Zelensky assured that the issue of territories in the Donetsk Oblast remains the key point of negotiations. The President of Ukraine announced that he would keep informed about the further course of the talks.
First steps towards peace?
The talks in Abu Dhabi are the first contact of this type between the parties since the beginning of the war. Although there are no details yet, their commencement gives hope that a solution to the conflict will be reached. As the Ukrainian president emphasizes, Ukraine's positions are clear and the delegation operates in accordance with the established dialogue framework. The question remains whether Russia will be willing to compromise to end the ongoing conflict.
