Four years after tensions boiled over into full-scale war, the United States, Russia, and Ukraine are breaking the ice with landmark talks in Abu Dhabi this Friday. The meeting underscores renewed U.S. push under President Trump to mediate an end to the protracted Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Paving the way was President Putin’s extended huddle with top American envoys in the Kremlin. Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and Josh Gruenbaum spent nearly four hours hashing out preliminaries with Putin and his team, including Yuri Ushakov and Kirill Dmitriev. Ushakov later praised the exchange as productive and transparent.
Journalists learned via phone that the security-focused tripartite group, headed by Russia’s Admiral Igor Kostyukov, would launch in Abu Dhabi. Putin personally tasked Kostyukov’s team with advancing Moscow’s positions. Parallelly, trade talks between Witkoff and Dmitriev aim to rebuild economic bridges strained by sanctions.
Russia remains firm: no peace without addressing core regional disputes with Ukraine. Ushakov emphasized diplomatic preferences but warned of continued military advances if talks falter. ‘Our soldiers maintain the upper hand in the field,’ he noted.
Echoing this urgency, Trump met Zelenskyy in Davos amid the WEF. Post-meeting, he voiced hopes for resolution from the skies en route home, flagging border delineations as a key hurdle.
As global eyes turn to Abu Dhabi, this summit could redefine the conflict’s trajectory. Neutral UAE hosting offers a rare neutral ground, free from European or American biases. Success here might unlock ceasefires and aid flows; failure could entrench divisions further. The world holds its breath for outcomes from this long-awaited parley.