Major POW exchange, next round of talks: What Ukraine, US and Russia agreed in Abu Dhabi

Ukraine

The next possible round of talks

According to David Arakhamia, a member of Ukraine's negotiating delegation and head of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction, US presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will travel to Moscow to meet with Putin and then meet with Zelenskyy in Dublin. After that, a date should be set for the next round of negotiations.

"We have good momentum to find a solution before the New Year," he said.

Why the talks were tough

Arakhamia explained that this was due to the position of the Russian delegation.

"The talks were tough because they (the Russians – ed.) came with very strict instructions, leaving no room for bargaining," he said.

Three outcomes of the meetings

According to Arakhamia, they include:

• the possibility of setting a date for the next meeting after Witkoff and Kushner's visit to Moscow;

• an agreement to involve Europeans in the negotiation process;

• discussions on humanitarian issues.

Arakhamia also noted that Ukraine is particularly vulnerable heading into winter this year because of a shortage of interceptor missiles. At the same time, he said, the country knows how to get through the winter. However, both inside and outside the team, there are hopes of bringing everything to an end before the New Year. But no one knows how things will turn out.

Russia's demands regarding Donbas

Kyrylo Budanov, a member of Ukraine's negotiating delegation and head of the Presidential Office, declined to reveal whether the Russian side had insisted that Ukrainian troops withdraw from Donbas.

"The issues raised during the negotiations are matters for the negotiations. The only thing that matters is the result. Once we achieve it, it will be announced publicly," he said.

Ultimatums

Serhii Kyslytsia, a member of Ukraine's negotiating team and first deputy head of the Presidential Office, stressed that none of the parties (Ukraine, the US or Europe) had issued ultimatums during the meetings.

"I did not hear any ultimatums, either from the US, Europe or Ukraine. This is very important. The media often write about ultimatums, but I did not hear any ultimatums today or yesterday," he said.

US

Meetings with Putin and Zelenskyy

Kushner announced that tomorrow, November 12, he would travel to Moscow with Witkoff to meet with Vladimir Putin. After that, the US representatives will arrive in Dublin to speak with Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Kushner expressed hope that the meeting with Putin would be successful and that negotiations would make further progress.

Involving Europe

Kushner said the presence of EU and NATO representatives in Abu Dhabi had been important and useful.

"We need to have Europe at the negotiating table," he stressed.

At the same time, the US representative noted that Europe should appoint one person to participate in the negotiations, since it brings together different countries with different views and interests.

According to Kushner, the US explained to the Russian side that it could discuss its concerns and demands, but at the same time, it had to take steps to de-escalate tensions and put forward its own proposals.

Possible meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin

Kushner said: "It would be good if they met at any time." However, according to the US special envoy, "Russia wants to see more progress" in the negotiations before such a meeting takes place. He also noted that there is not much trust between the leaders.

According to him, the parties already see different components of a potential peace agreement, but they need to determine how to bring them together into a common framework. Only the leaders can make the final decisions.

Territories and security guarantees

Kushner called territorial issues the most difficult part of the negotiations.

He noted that initiatives concerning the postwar world order could not be implemented until the territorial issue was resolved.

"The main issue is the postwar peace order, security guarantees for Ukraine, and preventing a new war," Trump's special envoy said.

The prisoner exchange

Kushner said the exact parameters of a large-scale prisoner exchange would be determined the following day, November 12.

Russia

The outcome of the talks

Russian delegation head Vladimir Medinsky said the parties had exchanged positions: they had reached an understanding on some issues, but not on others.

According to him, the central topic of the meetings was Europe's security system. The Russian side believes it is "right to raise the question of what security will look like after the end of the war in Ukraine."

Medinsky also said the Russian delegation had not spoken with European representatives who were in Abu Dhabi because Moscow "does not understand their status."

New prisoner exchange

Medinsky also confirmed that Russia and Ukraine had agreed on a new large-scale exchange of prisoners of war. Specific details, he said, would be provided later.

At the same time, Alexander Zorin, first deputy head of the Russian General Staff's Information Directorate, who also took part in the negotiations, clarified that the exchange could take place within the next two to three weeks. According to him, it will be one of the largest exchanges.

NATO

Medinsky reiterated Russia's demand that NATO return to its 1997 borders.

"The issue of creating a new security system in Europe has been raised by Russia more than once – in 2008 and in 2021, when we sent the relevant documents to NATO, the US and European countries," he said.

It should be recalled that these were Moscow's demands, which it put forward during negotiations with then-US President Joe Biden in December 2021.

Among other things, Russia demanded that NATO abandon further expansion, reduce the Alliance's military presence in countries that joined after 1997, and limit military cooperation with post-Soviet states outside NATO, including Ukraine.

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