First day of Ukraine peace talks sparks hope, but Donetsk and Nato's role remain hurdles
The first day of Ukraine, Russia and US peace talks ended with Washington claiming progress towards ending the war, but the biggest obstacles to a settlement remain firmly in place.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio described the four-hour discussions in Abu Dhabi as "very productive", while disagreements over control of Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region , postwar security guarantees and Nato's role continue to cast doubt on the prospects of a breakthrough.
According to a BBC report, senior officials from the three countries are scheduled to reconvene on Wednesday for a second round of discussions. While Ukrainian and Russian representatives remained tight-lipped after the first day's negotiations, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner told delegates that Washington had "narrowed the gaps" between Moscow and Kyiv and hoped to move towards a "solution that hopefully ends the war".
Kushner and US special envoy Steve Witkoff are leading Washington's diplomatic push in Abu Dhabi, with the discussions focused on addressing the postwar security concerns of both Russia and Ukraine.
Kushner said the negotiations were aimed at building a path towards ending the conflict, while US officials indicated that both sides had shown "a little bit of flexibility, privately" on the question of territorial control. However, the precise nature of any movement in their positions has not been disclosed.
A central issue in the negotiations is the future of Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, where Russia has occupied large areas but Ukrainian forces continue to hold some territory.
Moscow has demanded that Kyiv surrender the remaining parts of the region under its control, while Ukraine wants the existing frontline to be frozen, allowing it to retain those areas. According to the BBC, neither side has publicly shifted from its position, making the territorial dispute one of the biggest obstacles to a peace agreement.
The territorial deadlock is closely linked to another major sticking point, the postwar security arrangements for both countries. A US official told the BBC that the Donetsk dispute cannot be resolved without first determining the security framework that would follow a peace agreement.
"They will not solve the Donetsk issue and the territorial issue until they know what the security architecture is going to be after the war," the official said, adding that neither issue could be finalised independently of the other.
The proposed security framework could include assurances for Ukraine that its allies would come to its aid in the event of another Russian attack, while Moscow continues to seek limits on Nato's presence in Eastern Europe.
According to the BBC, US officials have discussed security consultations, crisis communication hotlines and "reciprocal de-escalation measures" between the two sides. They have also floated the possibility of reactivating the Nato-Russia Council, which has remained largely inactive since 2022.
Another point of contention is the role of European countries in the peace process, with leaders across the continent pushing for a place at the negotiating table after being largely excluded from previous discussions.
Their concerns stem from the possibility that decisions affecting Europe's long-term security could be taken without their participation. Acknowledging their importance, Rubio said during a visit to Paris that the Europeans "are a part of solving this problem for the long term".
However, a US official told the BBC that Moscow remains reluctant to involve European governments, saying the Russians "have a bad taste in their mouth with the Europeans".
Russia has also rejected calls for an unconditional ceasefire before negotiations, arguing that it would give Ukrainian forces time to regroup.
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated Moscow's opposition to the proposal on Tuesday, saying, "We will not agree to it." The rejection highlights another divide between Russia and several European governments, which have pushed for a ceasefire as a prerequisite for broader peace negotiations.
Meanwhile, concerns over the direction of Trump's peace initiative have also emerged in Kyiv, where some political leaders fear Washington could push for a quick settlement at Ukraine's expense.
Ukrainian MP Oleksandr Merezhko, who heads the parliamentary committee on foreign affairs, told the BBC that he believed Trump wanted "a quick deal at the expense of Ukraine", an outcome he said Kyiv would reject.
He argued that Russian President Vladimir Putin would have little incentive to negotiate seriously as long as Moscow's military campaign continued.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio described the four-hour discussions in Abu Dhabi as "very productive", while disagreements over control of Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region , postwar security guarantees and Nato's role continue to cast doubt on the prospects of a breakthrough.
According to a BBC report, senior officials from the three countries are scheduled to reconvene on Wednesday for a second round of discussions. While Ukrainian and Russian representatives remained tight-lipped after the first day's negotiations, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner told delegates that Washington had "narrowed the gaps" between Moscow and Kyiv and hoped to move towards a "solution that hopefully ends the war".
Kushner and US special envoy Steve Witkoff are leading Washington's diplomatic push in Abu Dhabi, with the discussions focused on addressing the postwar security concerns of both Russia and Ukraine.
Kushner said the negotiations were aimed at building a path towards ending the conflict, while US officials indicated that both sides had shown "a little bit of flexibility, privately" on the question of territorial control. However, the precise nature of any movement in their positions has not been disclosed.
A central issue in the negotiations is the future of Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, where Russia has occupied large areas but Ukrainian forces continue to hold some territory.
Moscow has demanded that Kyiv surrender the remaining parts of the region under its control, while Ukraine wants the existing frontline to be frozen, allowing it to retain those areas. According to the BBC, neither side has publicly shifted from its position, making the territorial dispute one of the biggest obstacles to a peace agreement.
The territorial deadlock is closely linked to another major sticking point, the postwar security arrangements for both countries. A US official told the BBC that the Donetsk dispute cannot be resolved without first determining the security framework that would follow a peace agreement.
"They will not solve the Donetsk issue and the territorial issue until they know what the security architecture is going to be after the war," the official said, adding that neither issue could be finalised independently of the other.
The proposed security framework could include assurances for Ukraine that its allies would come to its aid in the event of another Russian attack, while Moscow continues to seek limits on Nato's presence in Eastern Europe.
According to the BBC, US officials have discussed security consultations, crisis communication hotlines and "reciprocal de-escalation measures" between the two sides. They have also floated the possibility of reactivating the Nato-Russia Council, which has remained largely inactive since 2022.
Another point of contention is the role of European countries in the peace process, with leaders across the continent pushing for a place at the negotiating table after being largely excluded from previous discussions.
Their concerns stem from the possibility that decisions affecting Europe's long-term security could be taken without their participation. Acknowledging their importance, Rubio said during a visit to Paris that the Europeans "are a part of solving this problem for the long term".
However, a US official told the BBC that Moscow remains reluctant to involve European governments, saying the Russians "have a bad taste in their mouth with the Europeans".
Russia has also rejected calls for an unconditional ceasefire before negotiations, arguing that it would give Ukrainian forces time to regroup.
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated Moscow's opposition to the proposal on Tuesday, saying, "We will not agree to it." The rejection highlights another divide between Russia and several European governments, which have pushed for a ceasefire as a prerequisite for broader peace negotiations.
Meanwhile, concerns over the direction of Trump's peace initiative have also emerged in Kyiv, where some political leaders fear Washington could push for a quick settlement at Ukraine's expense.
Ukrainian MP Oleksandr Merezhko, who heads the parliamentary committee on foreign affairs, told the BBC that he believed Trump wanted "a quick deal at the expense of Ukraine", an outcome he said Kyiv would reject.
He argued that Russian President Vladimir Putin would have little incentive to negotiate seriously as long as Moscow's military campaign continued.
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