Russia, Ukraine, and the United States began today (Tuesday) a trilateral dialogue in Abu Dhabi as part of efforts to resume negotiations to end the war, amid disputes over territory and security guarantees.

Cautious American Optimism

The chief Ukrainian negotiator, Rustem Umerov, stated that the Kyiv delegation started its meetings with discussions with representatives from Europe and NATO, along with American envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, in preparation for the trilateral talks with Russia and the United States. He added in a post on Telegram that the delegation would compare positions and coordinate steps before the next phase of negotiations. Meanwhile, the head of the Russian delegation expressed hope that the Abu Dhabi talks would help advance the Ukrainian settlement in a way that serves the interests of both nations' peoples. This round, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, comes amid cautious optimism in the White House regarding the chances of making progress, according to Axios, citing American officials. This is the first meeting between the parties with the presence of American mediators since February, when negotiations were suspended due to the war in Iran, according to the site.

Will Europeans Participate?

Prior to the start of the talks, there were differing statements from French and Russian officials regarding European participation; French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot confirmed on Tuesday that representatives from Britain, Germany, and France would be "in the meeting room," while the Kremlin announced that the negotiations would take place in a trilateral format without the participation of European officials.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated on Tuesday that his country does not harbor illusions about the administration of President Donald Trump and that Moscow hopes Washington has the sufficient will to continue the dialogue. The Russian television network RT quoted Lavrov as saying that the participants in the negotiations would discuss issues related to collective security guarantees.

Agenda of the Talks

The Abu Dhabi talks will focus on two main tracks, according to Axios. The military track is led by a working group headed by U.S. European Command General Alexus Greenkwich, to discuss mechanisms for monitoring the ceasefire in the post-war phase and security arrangements. The working group made significant progress on this issue during the last round of talks in February. The political track focuses on the most sensitive issue, which is the territorial demands that saw no progress during the February talks. The site noted that neither party has shown a publicly declared change in its position; Russia demands control over the entire Donbas region, while Ukraine insists on dividing the territory according to current front lines. However, American officials told Axios that both parties have shown "a degree of flexibility" regarding the land issue in recent weeks during undisclosed talks. According to the site, American officials believe that reaching an agreement on territory will not be possible before achieving understandings on security guarantees.

Ukrainian Priorities for Negotiations

Regarding the Ukrainian position, Axios reported that officials in Kyiv have identified three main goals they seek to achieve during the talks: reaching an understanding to de-escalate in the Black Sea, allowing for the resumption of grain exports; agreeing to stop attacks on Ukrainian power stations and Russian oil refineries before winter; and organizing a trilateral summit involving Trump, Putin, and Zelensky, possibly on the sidelines of the G20 summit scheduled to be held in Miami next month.