Steve Witkoff, special envoy of Trump, has announced that Jared Kushner and he will lead the American delegation in the peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, which will be held on November 10 and 11, 2023, in Abu Dhabi. These talks are resuming after intensive consultations between representatives of Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, and Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia.
Background of the Talks and Challenges
Diplomatic efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war have been halted since February 2022 following the onset of the Iran war. Now, Washington hopes that the Abu Dhabi talks can open a new path toward reaching an agreement. White House officials believe that Putin may show greater willingness to compromise after Trump agreed to lift sanctions related to the sale of Russian diesel and took some other steps that were welcomed by Moscow. However, fundamental differences between the two sides remain, and territorial issues are considered one of the main obstacles to reaching an agreement.
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Zelensky's Warning and Russian Threats
On the eve of the new talks, Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Monday that Ukraine has information indicating that Russia is preparing to launch a large-scale attack on the country's energy facilities and logistical infrastructure. Zelensky warned that this attack could coincide with the U.S. midterm elections on Tuesday, when global public attention is focused on these elections.
Witkoff, in a statement regarding the agenda of this meeting, said: "The discussions will focus on post-war security arrangements, de-escalation, humanitarian actions, and next steps toward peace." He also announced that a group of lower-level American officials will meet this week in Brussels with representatives from France, Germany, the UK, the European Union, and NATO. The aim of this meeting is to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine and the security architecture of Europe after the war.
Despite plans to resume the trilateral talks, disagreements over Russian-controlled territories, ongoing military attacks, and the lack of an agreement on a ceasefire remain major obstacles to achieving a final agreement. Thus, the Abu Dhabi meeting is taking place while Washington seeks to revive the diplomatic path, but there are still no clear signs of either side retreating from their core positions.
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