Ahead of the start of the negotiation process in Abu Dhabi, both sides—Ukraine and russia—are prepared to show flexibility in discussing issues related to future control of territories in the east of Ukraine, where the fiercest fighting is taking place. The BBC reports this, citing its own sources among informed U.S. officials.
It is known that the first round of talks will focus on security guarantees following the end of the war. However, moscow and Kyiv hold quite polarized views on exactly how the russian-Ukrainian war should end.
“The key point of disagreement between the two sides is the eastern region of Ukraine—the Donetsk Region, which is currently largely occupied by Russia. Moscow is demanding that Ukraine relinquish the parts of the Donetsk Region that it still controls, while Kyiv wants to freeze the line of contact to retain control over these areas, which, it says, are crucial to its future security,” – the publication explains, outlining the positions of both negotiating teams.
At the same time, according to a BBC source, such categorical positions have been stated publicly by both sides. The diplomatic process requires flexibility and a willingness to consider compromises—something both moscow and Kyiv, the BBC source says, are prepared to do.
“However, they will not resolve the territorial issue until they know what the post-war security architecture will look like. And keep in mind that we cannot resolve one issue without resolving the other,” – the BBC quotes an American official as saying.
He explained that for Ukraine, the postwar “security architecture” could include guarantees that allies will come to its aid in the event of a new attack. For russia, this could be its long-standing desire to see NATO withdraw from Eastern Europe—a move that would cause alarm among Europeans.
As a reminder, according to Politico, this time the kremlin decided to change the composition of the russian delegation for the meeting with Ukraine and the U.S. in Abu Dhabi, raising the level of participants compared to previous rounds of talks.
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