Abu Dhabi Ukraine Talks: US Envoys Accept Russia's Demand to Negotiate Everything at Once
In talks with Russia in Abu Dhabi, US envoys agreed to discuss all issues together and seek a way to settle them simultaneously. POLITICO columnist Jamie Dettmer argues this gives Moscow room to stall.
The latest round of US-brokered talks on Russia's war against Ukraine took place in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates. Envoys of US President Donald Trump backed a long-standing Kremlin demand to negotiate all issues in a single package. Trump later raised the prospect of a "very big" deal involving all of Europe. This matters because such an approach could divert attention from the war itself and affect Europe's security architecture.
What the US side said
The US delegation included Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, who is also a real estate investor. After the talks, Kushner told reporters in the UAE capital that the aim is to discuss all issues together and find a pathway to settle them at the same time.
POLITICO foreign affairs columnist Jamie Dettmer notes that this ignores sequencing, which experienced diplomats see as crucial in peace talks. It also does not start with a ceasefire or break complex issues into smaller, manageable steps.
Assessments and skepticism
A Russia–US understanding alone cannot settle the matter, since Ukraine will have a say. European leaders have already rejected attempts by the White House and the Kremlin to reshape the continent's security architecture.
Eugene Rumer, a former member of the US National Intelligence Council, argues the approach diverts attention from the war in Ukraine. Ukrainian opposition lawmaker Mykola Kniazhytskyi said Putin is stalling in hopes that European support fades and Europe splits. Kurt Volker, a former US ambassador, said assumptions that Putin wants peace are misguided.
Dettmer recalls a similar approach in the Syria talks of 2014–2017, when Lavrov negotiated with then US Secretary of State John Kerry.
Russia's conditions
Vladimir Medinsky again led the Russian delegation in Abu Dhabi. According to the source, Moscow's demands have not changed: guarantees that Ukraine will never join NATO, will remain neutral and will face limits on weapons stockpiles and army size, plus international recognition of Crimea and four eastern regions as part of Russia.
