Main points
- The first round of talks between Ukraine, the US, and Russia in Abu Dhabi ended on February 4. They will continue the next day.
- International security expert at the Democratic Initiatives Foundation, military expert Taras Zhovtenko, said whether we should expect progress in the negotiations.
The first day of talks in Abu Dhabi between Ukraine, the US, and Russia ended on February 4. Now it is important to understand whether the end of the war is really near.
This was told to Channel 24 by Taras Zhovtenko, an international security expert at the Democratic Initiatives Foundation and a military expert, noting that in parallel with the peace talks, a number of revealing statements were made by Russian officials. They are worth paying attention to.
What to expect from this round of negotiations?
According to Zhovtenko, Russia is showing that it is ready for negotiations. But in fact, it immediately “backs off,” as evidenced by public statements by officials.
On the same February 4, a statement was made by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who accused Ukraine of the war still continuing. He hints that Kyiv needs to give Donbas to Russia – and then there will supposedly be progress. And Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov talks about “Nazis” and is far from constructive.
This means that the picture is not changing much. We should not expect any breakthrough or compromise from Russia. It is unlikely that there will be any unconventional negotiating steps,
– noted Zhovtenko.
The full list of issues being discussed at the talks is currently unknown. Earlier, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov, who is part of the delegation, reported that the meeting will discuss, in particular, security guarantees.
Pay attention! Public communications expert and publicist Yuri Bogdanov shared his opinion on when Russia becomes more pliable in the negotiation process. If Russia's losses in the war really amount to 50,000 personnel per month, then Putin will face a difficult problem.
Peace talks: latest news
- The first day of the meeting of the delegations of Ukraine, the United States, and Russia in Abu Dhabi ended on February 4. The meetings will continue tomorrow. For now, the parties are commenting cautiously on the progress of the negotiations.
- President Volodymyr Zelensky noted that there is progress in the issue of prisoner exchange. He also separately emphasized that Ukraine is ready to end the war. But Russia must also be ready for this. And international partners should secure everything with security guarantees.
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also commented on the progress of the negotiations. He said at a briefing that the list of problematic issues has been reduced compared to the situation a year ago.