Abu Dhabi (AFP) – Russia and Ukraine began a second day of talks in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, with Washington mediating as the two sides seek progress towards ending the worst conflict in Europe since World War II. The first trilateral talks since February — when discussions ended in a stalemate and Washington shifted attention to its war with Iran — have so far been praised by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He has hailed a change in approach by US mediators, led by President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and businessman envoy Steve Witkoff, though he has not yet elaborated on that change.
But the Ukrainian leader has emphasised the need for security guarantees for his country, while Europe has watched nervously after Washington said the talks would include a new security framework for the continent. After Wednesday’s talks end, “we will hold a separate meeting with our European partners,” Kyiv’s chief negotiator Rustem Umerov said on Telegram. A source in the Ukrainian delegation told AFP the US envoys would also join that meeting. Kushner told delegates on Tuesday the United States had “narrowed the gaps” between the warring sides, without providing details, and hoped to move towards a “solution” to the conflict, which began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Zelensky, speaking in Copenhagen on Tuesday, said his team had reported that humanitarian issues and security guarantees were among the topics discussed. He said the first day of talks had been “constructive and quite substantive”. Asked about changes in the approach to peace talks by Kushner and Witkoff, Zelensky said: “I see changes. I’m very happy with what I hear.” The Ukrainian president said negotiators were working on a “large-scale exchange of prisoners”, adding that US officials would travel to Russia to discuss the matter further.
But as the talks continued, so did the fighting: Ukrainian Prime Minister Sergiy Koretsky said Wednesday that Russia had pummelled “six major electrical substations” in four regions overnight. In Russia’s Leningrad region, governor Aleksandr Drozdenko posted on Telegram that a Ukrainian drone barrage had sparked a fire at Ust-Luga, a key Baltic port for oil exports.
– ‘New’ security framework –
Europe has been rattled as Trump floated a deal with Russia on rewriting European post-war security, also worrying that Washington will force Kyiv to accept a de facto defeat. Kushner on Tuesday said the United States hoped to “create a new framework” of security between Ukraine, Russia and Europe that will secure “decades, if not centuries, of peace.” Ukraine insists Russia end hostilities before there can be any discussion on a future security arrangement for Europe. Kyiv has warned against a “Yalta 2.0”, referring to Western leaders dividing Europe with the Soviet Union after World War II, and the EU has said security arrangements can only be discussed after a ceasefire.
But Moscow, several weeks before invading Ukraine, issued an ultimatum to Western countries to roll back troops from eastern Europe. And Putin has repeatedly turned down broader ceasefire offers and vowed his troops will press on in Ukraine.
– Moscow pushes security review –
A Russian delegation source had said that settling the war was “merely one item on the agenda” for this week’s talks, and that Moscow’s main objective was reviewing security “for the entire continent.” In a joint statement, the Europeans, Ukraine, the United States and NATO reaffirmed their “shared commitment to a strong post-war European security architecture.” Kyiv is also pushing post-war support for its army. A senior Ukrainian source told AFP Ukraine wanted at least 10 years of financial support to sustain an 800,000-strong army able to defend any future Russian attack. Trump hinted before the talks that Kyiv might have to give up land, saying: “They’re going to end up with a little bit different shape.” Russia’s troops have ground westwards but have not been able to seize the whole of the coveted Donetsk region, and Moscow demands Kyiv surrender the parts of the embattled area it controls.
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© 2024 AFP
