The US publication Axios, citing unnamed official sources, reported that the trilateral talks held in Abu Dhabi with the participation of the US, Russia, and Ukraine were more productive than expected, and a certain progress was noted between the parties. According to sources, an open dialogue environment was formed during the meetings, and neither side tried to avoid important topics.
According to Axios, representatives of the US delegation, including Kushner and Whitkoff, actively moved between the rooms where the Russian and Ukrainian working groups were meeting, coordinating the dialogue. This served to make the negotiations more lively and meaningful.
The publication, citing a US official, notes that all key issues were discussed during the negotiations. In particular, they exchanged views on Russia's territorial claims regarding Donbas, the conflict surrounding the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, as well as what guarantees are needed to prevent its escalation after the war ends. According to the source, there was no coercion or pressure on any issue, and the parties tried to find a solution in the spirit of mutual respect.
At the end of the second day of the two-day negotiations, the three delegations gathered around one table and had lunch together. One US official described the situation as "even for a short time, almost everyone seemed like friends," saying that the meeting gave him hope.
Another American source expressed satisfaction with the overall mood and noted that the negotiations were held in the most positive spirit possible. According to US officials, the meeting in Abu Dhabi will be an important stage in the chain of peaceful negotiations and will pave the way for further steps.
The Axios report notes that the possibility of a direct meeting between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Washington circles is assessed as very close. If more specific agreements are reached at the next trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi, the next stage may continue in Moscow or Kyiv.
In short, although the negotiations in Abu Dhabi were conducted without major decisions, they were significant because new doors of trust and dialogue opened between the parties. This indicates that next steps towards peace may be taken in the near future.
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