- Negotiations on the territorial control of Donbas between Ukraine, Russia and the USA are taking place in the UAE.
- Donbas is the main unresolved issue for ending the war in Ukraine.
- Russia demands the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from all of this territory as a condition of the agreement.
The negotiating teams of Ukraine, Russia and the United States will discuss in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) mainly the territorial control of the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this on Friday before the start of the talks. TASR informs about it according to the report of the AFP agency.
Both Moscow and Kyiv have confirmed that a tripartite meeting of Ukrainian, Russian and American negotiators will take place in Abu Dhabi on Friday. According to Zelensky, the negotiations will also take place on Saturday.
“Donbass is a key issue. It will be discussed in a way that the three parties see fit, today and tomorrow in Abu Dhabi,” he said Zelenskyj in an interview with journalists on the WhatsApp platform. He previously described the fate of the eastern part of Ukraine as an unresolved issue in negotiations with Russia to end the war.
American president Donald Trump met with Zelensky on Thursday on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. On return expressed his belief that both Zelenskyi and Russian President Vladimir Putin want to come to an agreement, although there were times when, according to him, neither of them wanted it.
After the meeting with Trump, the Ukrainian president announced that documents aimed at ending the war in Ukraine are almost ready, but the territorial issues have not yet been resolved. According to him, the agreement on US security guarantees for Ukraine is ready, but it requires the signature of the heads of state and approval by the national parliaments.
Before the meeting of working groups in the UAE, Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held talks with Putin in Moscow. The Russian president’s adviser Yuriy Ushakov also took part in the meeting. He described it as useful and said that unless Russia’s territorial claims are resolved, lasting peace in Ukraine will not be possible. According to Ušakov, Putin is “sincerely interested” in a diplomatic solution to the conflict.
Russia insists that Ukrainian forces withdraw from Donbass
Russia insists on its demand that Ukrainian forces withdraw from the remaining parts of the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. This is an important condition for reaching any agreement to end the war in Ukraine, said Friday Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky previously called Donbas a key issue, which will be discussed by the negotiators of Ukraine, Russia and the USA in the United Arab Emirates. TASR informs about it according to the report of the AFP agency.
Russia invaded Ukraine militarily in February 2022 and currently occupies about a fifth of its territory. Moscow also demands the territory it was unable to conquer, especially in the Donbass region. Kiev rejects this demand and warns that concessions will only strengthen Russia.
“Russia’s position is well known, which is that Ukrainian armed forces must leave the territory of Donbas. They must withdraw. This is a very important condition,” stated Peskov at a press briefing in Moscow. The Kremlin spokesman added, without further details, that other issues remain on the agenda in Abu Dhabi.
