The talks, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, come after weeks of daily phone calls by White House envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner with Russian and Ukrainian officials to prepare the ground. The two envoys may travel to Moscow and Kyiv after the Abu Dhabi meetings to speak directly with Putin and Zelensky, a U.S. official said.
The negotiations will focus on two tracks: a military working group led by Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, commander of U.S. European Command, to discuss post-war ceasefire monitoring and security arrangements, and a political working group addressing territorial demands. The military working group made significant progress on post-war ceasefire monitoring and security arrangements in February, but there was no progress on territory.
The parties remain far apart. Russia is demanding control over the entire Donbas region, while Ukraine insists on dividing territory based on current front lines. In private, however, U.S. officials say both sides have shown a little bit of flexibility on the territorial issue in recent weeks. An agreement on territory is unlikely until security guarantees are reached.
U.S. officials, who briefed reporters, struck a positive tone despite skepticism in Europe and Ukraine about Putin's willingness to end the war. “There is a shot to make significant progress towards a deal and to try and bridge the gaps,” one official said. “Getting the parties back to the table wasn't easy to do and we see promising signs as mediators.” A U.S. official said the relations the U.S. has built with Putin will be instrumental in the negotiations.
The Trump administration hopes Putin will be more willing to compromise after the U.S. lifted sanctions on Russian diesel sales and took other steps welcomed by Moscow.
Witkoff and Kushner invited senior officials from NATO, the EU, and four major European powers, the UK, France, Germany and Italy, to Abu Dhabi for separate discussions on the sidelines. The U.S. also wants to start a third track of negotiations between European countries and Russia to create new ways of easing tensions and avoiding conflict. Many European countries are highly suspicious, believing it endorses a Russian narrative that Europe is a security threat to Moscow and worry it will weaken NATO. U.S. officials stressed the proposed Europe-Russia security initiative would not replace or diminish NATO.
Ukrainian officials said their priorities for the talks are: clinching a deal to de-escalate tensions on the Black Sea and allow grain exports; reaching an agreement to stop attacks on Ukrainian power plants and Russian oil refineries before winter; and organizing a trilateral summit between Trump, Putin and Zelensky, possibly during the G20 summit in Miami next month.
Russia's escalating attacks on Ukrainian cities and Putin's refusal to agree to a ceasefire have cast doubt on prospects for meaningful progress.