Three-way Ukraine peace talks continue in UAE as Zelensky seeks answers

Rare three-way talks among Russian, Ukrainian and American officials entered their second day on Saturday in the United Arab Emirates, and President Volodymyr Zelensky said he expected "at least some answers" from Russia on the current draft of a plan to end the war. The 20-point peace plan began last fall as a proposal negotiated between the Trump administration and Russia and has been revised with input from Ukraine, the United States, European nations and other countries.

The items under discussion include security arrangements, postwar reconstruction and exchanges of prisoners. Mr. Zelensky said he was regularly in touch with Ukrainian negotiators in Abu Dhabi, but Moscow has continued attacks during the talks and has shown little appetite to stop them.

Ukraine and Russia remain divided on key issues tied to security and territory. Ukraine has rejected Russia’s demand to control all of the Donetsk region, and Moscow has rejected any deployment of NATO troops on Ukrainian soil. U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators discussed various "iterations" of compromises, including neutral peacekeepers or a demilitarized zone, while Russia has insisted on terms it said reflected an understanding reached after a summit between President Trump and President Putin.

Mr. Zelensky said it was "still too early to draw conclusions" about whether Russia would negotiate in good faith and warned Moscow might "play games" that could derail the process.

Key Topics

World, Volodymyr Zelensky, United Arab Emirates, Peace Plan, Donetsk Region, Russia