World news and discussion on TalkFuse.
Russia, Ukraine and US to meet as Zelenskyy claims battlefield successes
Russian and Ukrainian negotiators are due to meet in Abu Dhabi for US-brokered peace talks, as Volodymyr Zelenskyy says recent Ukrainian battlefield gains have strengthened Kyiv’s negotiating position. The talks matter because territory and Ukraine’s future security guarantees remain major obstacles to ending the war.
The meeting is the third round in Abu Dhabi this year; the delegations last met in Geneva on 18 February. A US official said both sides had privately shown some flexibility on territory, while security guarantees, potentially modelled on NATO’s Article 5, are expected to be central. Russia controls about 20 per cent of Ukraine, including Crimea and parts of Donbas; US Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned that negotiations still have a long way to go.
In short
- Russia and Ukraine are set for US-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi.
- Zelenskyy says battlefield gains have improved Ukraine’s negotiating position.
- Territory and Ukraine’s security guarantees remain central issues.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Ukraine’s claimed battlefield gains may improve its leverage by showing that continued resistance can impose costs and that Kyiv need not accept terms dictated by Russia. Supporters of a firm negotiating position argue that any settlement must protect Ukraine’s sovereignty and include credible security guarantees, or it could leave the country vulnerable to renewed attack.
The case against
Russia’s control of substantial Ukrainian territory, alongside the human and economic costs of continued war, gives advocates of compromise reason to prioritise a negotiated end over trying to reverse the battlefield situation. They may argue that flexibility on territorial questions and security arrangements could make an agreement more achievable, while acknowledging that concessions would be painful and any guarantees would need to be credible.
Explained simply
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, though the conflict over Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine dates back to 2014. Russia now controls about a fifth of Ukraine, including Crimea and parts of the Donbas region.
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, leads the country’s government, while Russia’s government is led by President Vladimir Putin. The United States is helping the two sides negotiate; Marco Rubio is the US secretary of state.
A central question is what territory each side would control if fighting ended. Ukraine also wants security guarantees to deter future attacks, possibly modelled on NATO’s promise that an attack on one member is treated as an attack on all.