Abu Dhabi Talks: Rubio Calls Four-Hour Ukraine-Russia Session Productive
U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff facilitated the first direct negotiations in nine months, with delegations focusing on prisoner swaps and security guarantees.
By Layla Richardson ·
Four hours. That is how long Russian and Ukrainian officials sat across from one another in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, marking the first direct talks in nine months aimed at ending a war that has dragged on for four and a half years.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking from Paris during a Group of Seven meeting, labeled the session "very productive." He cautioned that the process is not imminent, noting there is much work to be done and that the conflict is not on the verge of being solved in the next 24 hours.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the meeting as constructive and quite substantive. He told reporters in Copenhagen that the discussions centered on humanitarian issues, including prisoner exchanges, the return of civilians in captivity, and the recovery of children taken from Ukraine. He also confirmed that security guarantees were a topic of discussion.
Neither Rubio nor Zelenskyy traveled to the United Arab Emirates for the talks. Instead, U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and envoy Steve Witkoff represented Washington. The two-day session is scheduled to continue on Wednesday.
A senior Ukrainian official, speaking anonymously because he was not authorized to comment publicly, said the sides discussed a large-scale prisoner swap. The official stated that details of the exchange will be worked out in the coming days.
Kushner said in opening remarks that the goal is to create a new framework for peace by identifying what worked in past attempts and what failed. He expressed hope that the talks would lead to decades or centuries of stability. NATO commander U.S. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, who was also present, said the U.S. delegation was eager to build on previous progress.
The diplomatic effort comes against a backdrop of intensified military activity. Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia launched 162 drones and a ballistic missile overnight. Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces downed 155 Ukrainian drones in eight regions and over the Crimean Peninsula.
Key gaps remain between the two sides. Russian President Vladimir Putin demands that Ukraine withdraw troops from four regions annexed in September 2022 and abandon its bid to join NATO. Zelenskyy rejects voluntary cession of territory and any limits on Ukraine’s military size, arguing an immediate ceasefire is the necessary first step toward a wider settlement.
