In a Gulf city far from the trenches, Russian and Ukrainian delegations sat across from American mediators for nearly four hours, the first such round in months, as a war now in its fifth year wears on in the cold. The talks turned mostly toward human matters: captives, children taken from their homes, and a large exchange of prisoners still to be arranged. The deeper quarrel over land, alliances, and whether a ceasefire should come before a settlement remains exactly where it was, and everyone present seems to understand that a pause in the room is not yet a pause in the world.
Russia and Ukraine Hold First U.S.-Mediated Talks in Nine Months in Abu Dhabi
Hundreds of thousands of soldiers and thousands of civilians have been killed since Russia's full-scale invasion, and Ukrainian civilians and children remain in captivity.
Nothing was on the verge of being solved within 24 hours
Mark
Why does a prisoner swap matter when the big issues are untouched?
Mimi
Because it's the one area where both sides have repeatedly found common ground. Zelenskyy said the talks were mostly humanitarian, covering captive civilians and children taken from Ukraine.
Luke
But keep the sourcing straight. The swap being large-scale comes from an anonymous senior Ukrainian official, and the details are still to be discussed.
Mark
Rubio called it very productive. Is that meaningful?
Mimi
He also said it wasn't close to being solved in 24 hours. He was praising the process, not announcing results.
Luke
Right. Rubio and Zelenskyy weren't there, so both are characterizing a meeting from afar. We have no independent account of what was said inside.
Mark
What's different this time?
Mimi
The U.S. midterms put Democrats in charge of Congress in January, and Russia's economy is under more pressure. Trump also floated a wider European security deal.
Luke
Those are changed circumstances, not changed positions. Putin still demands withdrawal from four regions, and Kyiv still demands a ceasefire first. Nothing reported shows either side budging.
Mark
And Europe's role?
Mimi
Europeans met the Ukrainians and Americans first, but Russia objects to their presence in the three-way talks, while saying EU representatives could join later.
Luke
Whether that later stage happens is unknown. Wednesday's session is what to watch.
O Pulso
- Four hours of closed-door talks in Abu Dhabi ended with no breakthrough, only a cautious word that the conversation was useful.
- Moscow insists Ukraine withdraw from four annexed regions and drop its NATO ambitions, while Kyiv refuses to trade ground and demands a ceasefire first.
- Drones and missiles kept flying overnight, and Russia is pressing the power grid as winter closes in, so the talks unfold beneath fresh fire.
- A large prisoner swap is taking shape in whispers, with details due in the coming days and a second session set for Wednesday to test whether it holds.
- Washington's envoys are steering toward a wider European security framework, though Russia resists European seats at the table and the lines still look deadlocked.
In a Gulf city far from the trenches, Russian and Ukrainian delegations sat across from American mediators for nearly four hours, the first such round in months, as a war now in its fifth year wears on in the cold. The talks turned mostly toward human matters: captives, children taken from their homes, and a large exchange of prisoners still to be arranged. The deeper quarrel over land, alliances, and whether a ceasefire should come before a settlement remains exactly where it was, and everyone present seems to understand that a pause in the room is not yet a pause in the world.
On Tuesday in Abu Dhabi, delegations from Russia and Ukraine sat down for nearly four hours of talks brokered by the United States. It was their first meeting in roughly nine months, and it came in a war now four and a half years old. Neither Marco Rubio nor Volodymyr Zelenskyy was in the room. Rubio, speaking from a Group of Seven gathering in Paris, called the session very productive while asking for patience, and Zelenskyy described it as constructive and substantive. Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff represented Washington, and Kushner spoke of taking what has worked from past arrangements and bridging the gaps between the sides.
The discussion centered on people. Prisoner exchanges, the return of Ukrainian civilians held by Russia, and children taken from Ukraine were at the heart of it, and security guarantees were raised too. A senior Ukrainian official said a large-scale swap was under discussion, with specifics to follow. Before the bilateral talks, Ukrainian officials met with American envoys and European partners, a format Moscow has objected to even as it signaled that European voices might join later.
Hope here is carefully rationed. Earlier rounds this year brought no real progress, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz admitted he did not expect much. Fighting continued through the night, with hundreds of drones and missiles launched from both sides, and the front remains largely locked. The core positions have not shifted: Moscow wants Ukrainian forces out of four annexed regions, an end to NATO ambitions, and limits on Ukraine's military, while Kyiv wants a ceasefire first and will not give up territory. Wednesday's session will show whether the prisoner exchange takes concrete form and whether a broader European framework begins to emerge.
In Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, delegations from Russia and Ukraine sat down for nearly four hours of talks mediated by the United States, their first such session in nine months. The war they are trying to end is 4 1/2 years old. A second day of talks is scheduled for Wednesday.
Neither Secretary of State Marco Rubio nor Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was in the room. Rubio spoke from a Group of Seven meeting in Paris and said the talks looked "very productive," while urging patience. There was a lot of work to do, he said, and nothing was on the verge of being solved within 24 hours. Zelenskyy, speaking at the University of Copenhagen, called the session "constructive and quite substantive." Washington was represented by Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law, and envoy Steve Witkoff. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, commander of U.S. forces in Europe, was also present.
According to Zelenskyy, the discussion focused largely on humanitarian questions: prisoner exchanges, the return of Ukrainian civilians held in captivity, and children taken from the country. Security guarantees were also raised. A senior Ukrainian official, speaking anonymously because he was not authorized to comment publicly, said the two sides discussed a large-scale prisoner swap, with details to be worked out in the coming days.
Kushner opened by saying the aim was a new framework and understanding built on the institutions and understandings of the past. "We take what's worked, we try to identify what's failed," he said, in hopes of a framework for lasting peace. He added that he saw "some good ideas how to bridge" the differences. Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service and leader of Kyiv's delegation, thanked the U.S. and said Ukrainians are waiting for the war to end. Vladimir Medinsky, who heads the Russian side, voiced hope that the meeting would advance the path to peace.
The day began with a separate meeting between the Ukrainian team, the U.S. envoys, and representatives of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, NATO and the European Commission. Russia has objected to European involvement in the three-way talks, though it has said EU representatives could join at a later stage.
The optimism is tempered by history. Three earlier rounds this year produced no significant breakthroughs, and the last such meeting was in February. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Monday night he did not have "overly high expectations." Fighting shows no sign of easing and the armies are largely deadlocked on the front line. Overnight, Ukraine's air force said Russia launched 162 drones and a ballistic missile, while Russia's Defense Ministry said it downed 155 Ukrainian drones over eight Russian regions and Crimea. Moscow is also intensifying attacks on Ukraine's power grid as winter sets in. Analysts and humanitarian organizations say the invasion has killed hundreds of thousands of soldiers and thousands of civilians.
The core positions have not moved. Putin wants Ukrainian troops withdrawn from four regions Moscow annexed in September 2022 but never fully captured, an end to Ukraine's NATO bid, and strict limits on its military. He wants a comprehensive deal and rejects a general halt in hostilities, arguing it would let Ukrainian forces rest and rearm. Zelenskyy refuses to cede territory voluntarily or accept military limits, which Kyiv sees as the guarantees against renewed invasion. Ukraine wants an immediate ceasefire first and a direct Putin-Zelenskyy meeting to settle territory; Putin has spurned both.
The backdrop has shifted somewhat. Democrats will take control of the U.S. Congress in January after the midterms and could demand more support for Ukraine, and Russia's wartime economy is under greater pressure. Trump said last week that a "big agreement" on European security, involving more than Ukraine, was in the works. Kushner wrote on X that a lasting settlement would require direct engagement between Russia and European partners. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called the idea of setting security parameters first and then resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict "quite sensible."
Wednesday's session is the next test: whether the prisoner swap takes concrete shape, and whether a wider European security framework emerges.
Citações Notáveis
It's not like something that's on the verge of being solved in the next 24 hours or anything like that.— U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio
The talks were constructive and quite substantive.— Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
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