The United States, Ukraine, and their European partners emphasized the necessity of respecting Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and its autonomy in any peace agreement with Russia, alongside providing reliable security guarantees.

A joint statement issued following a coordination meeting in Abu Dhabi today (Tuesday), coinciding with the launch of a new round of negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv under American sponsorship, highlighted the importance of establishing mechanisms to manage risks and avoid escalation, as well as the continued coordination between Washington, Kyiv, and European capitals during the negotiation process, paving the way for multilateral discussions on the future of European security.

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff reported that the discussions addressed the establishment of a long-term security framework for Ukraine and the future of the European security system post-war, emphasizing NATO's continued central role in collective defense.

New meetings began on Tuesday in the Emirati capital, Abu Dhabi, with the participation of American, Ukrainian, and Russian delegations, alongside separate coordination meetings with representatives from the UK, France, Germany, Italy, the European Union, and NATO.

Ukrainian delegation head Rustem Umerov announced that the meetings began with coordinating positions with European partners and American envoys Witkoff and Jared Kushner, followed by a trilateral meeting including the United States, Ukraine, and Russia. He confirmed that his country's priorities include ending the fighting, obtaining reliable security guarantees, ensuring economic recovery, and addressing humanitarian issues. He noted that the delegation received a mandate from President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss all the issues raised.

For his part, Russian delegation head Vladimir Medinsky expressed appreciation for the American mediation, while Kushner described the meetings as "very positive."

The issue of territory is at the forefront of the disputes between Moscow and Kyiv, as Russia insists on its demands in the Donbas region, while Ukraine refuses to relinquish the territories it controls and demands security guarantees to prevent the resurgence of war. The topics on the table include halting attacks on energy facilities and infrastructure, maritime security in the Black Sea, prisoner exchanges, humanitarian issues, as well as post-war arrangements.

An American official spoke about both sides showing a limited degree of unannounced flexibility regarding territorial concessions. While Washington seeks to expand European involvement in shaping security arrangements, Moscow prefers to confine direct negotiations to a trilateral framework involving Russia, Ukraine, and the United States. The Abu Dhabi meetings reflect a divergence between the American desire to accelerate the settlement and the European insistence on participating in ensuring the continent's security, against Moscow's adherence to a limited negotiation format, making the issues of territory and security guarantees the most significant test for any potential peace agreement.