Ukraine, Russia, and U.S. set talks as territorial disputes dominate peace efforts

ABU DHABI — Negotiators from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States are scheduled to meet in Abu Dhabi on Friday for high-stakes talks aimed at ending Russia’s nearly four-year full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with the future of the eastern Donbas region expected to take center stage.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the status of territory in eastern Ukraine currently occupied by Russian forces will be a key focus of the discussions, which follow marathon overnight talks in Moscow between Russian President Vladimir Putin and envoys of U.S. President Donald Trump.

The Kremlin has reiterated that any peace settlement would require Kyiv to withdraw its troops from areas in the east that Russia claims to have annexed, despite not fully controlling those territories. Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said that during the overnight talks, “it was reaffirmed that reaching a long-term settlement can’t be expected without solving the territorial issue.”

Zelenskyy, meanwhile, signaled openness to economic proposals for the region. He said he discussed with Trump the idea of establishing a free trade zone under Ukrainian control in the east during a meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday. “I think it will be positive for our business,” Zelenskyy told reporters.

Friday’s session marks the first known instance of officials from the Trump administration meeting simultaneously with negotiators from both Ukraine and Russia. While the format and potential outcomes remain uncertain, some diplomats view the talks as a sign of tentative progress toward narrowing differences.

“The peace proposals are nearly ready,” Zelenskyy said after his meeting with Trump in Davos, even as he acknowledged that the future status of occupied land remains unresolved.

The Kremlin described the Abu Dhabi meeting only as a “working group on security issues.” Zelenskyy said Europe would be briefed afterward. “Today’s meeting will be in the format of Ukraine, Russia and the United States, and afterward the Europeans will certainly receive feedback from us,” he said in a WhatsApp audio message to journalists.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia’s delegation is led by Adm. Kostyukov and consists of military officials, adding that the talks could extend into Saturday “if necessary.” Separately, Putin’s envoy Kirill Dmitriev is expected to hold talks with Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff on economic issues.

Ushakov said the Moscow meeting with Witkoff and Jared Kushner began shortly before midnight and lasted nearly four hours past 3 a.m. Friday. He described the discussions as “frank, constructive” and “fruitful,” noting that U.S. envoys briefed Putin on Trump’s earlier meeting with Zelenskyy and on consultations with Ukrainian and European officials.

Witkoff and Kushner were joined by Josh Gruenbaum, head of the U.S. Federal Acquisition Service and a senior adviser on Trump’s Board of Peace, which Russia has been invited to join. Putin reiterated an offer to contribute $1 billion from Russian assets frozen in the United States to help fund reconstruction in Gaza, according to Ushakov.

Asked about the proposal, Trump said he had no objection. “If he’s using his money, that’s great,” the U.S. president said.

Zelenskyy met Trump behind closed doors for about an hour at the World Economic Forum, later describing the meeting as “productive and meaningful.”

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on his return to Washington, Trump said both Putin and Zelenskyy were seeking a deal and that “everyone’s making concessions” to end the war. He added that the main sticking point remains territorial boundaries. “The main hold-up is the same things that’s been holding it up for the last year,” he said.

Battlefield and Economic Pressures

Russia has captured about 20% of Ukrainian territory since hostilities began in 2014 and escalated with the full-scale invasion in 2022. Advances along the roughly 1,000-kilometer front line have come at a high cost, with Moscow facing mounting economic strain from the war and international sanctions.

Ukraine, for its part, continues to rely heavily on Western military and financial support despite increasing its domestic arms production. Defense officials last week reported about 200,000 troop desertions and an estimated 2 million draft-dodgers, underscoring manpower challenges on the front line.

In a speech at the World Economic Forum following his meeting with Trump, Zelenskyy sharply criticized European allies for what he described as a slow and fragmented response to the war.

“Europe looks lost,” he said, urging the continent to become a stronger global force. He compared Europe’s actions unfavorably with what he called Washington’s more decisive steps in Venezuela and Iran.

Referring to the film “Groundhog Day,” Zelenskyy said he felt Europe was repeating past inaction. “Just last year, here in Davos, I ended my speech with the words: Europe needs to know how to defend itself. A year has passed. And nothing has changed. We are still in a situation where I must say the same words again,” he said.

He also faulted European governments for what he described as insufficient defense spending, delays in countering Russia’s “shadow fleet” of oil tankers used to evade sanctions, and reluctance to use frozen Russian assets in Europe to help finance Ukraine.

As the Abu Dhabi talks begin, diplomats say the challenge will be to bridge deep divisions over territory, security guarantees, and economic reconstructionthat continue to define the prospects for any lasting settlement.