The trilateral talks between the United States (US), Russia and Ukraine began in Abu Dhabi on Friday, aiming to end the nearly four-year war between Moscow and Kyiv. The talks, which will be held for two days, are the first of its kinds and is also the first meeting between Ukraine and Russia over the plane proposed by US President Donald Trump to end the war in Europe.
"The talks commenced today in Abu Dhabi and are scheduled to continue over two days, as part of ongoing efforts to promote dialogue and identify political solutions to the crisis," the foreign ministry of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said in a statement.
Here's everything you need to know about the big story in 10 points:
- The talks are being held a day after Trump met Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Davos, Switzerland, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum. Trump has constantly called for an end to the war that has claimed thousands of lives.
- Ahead of the talks, Russian President Vladimir Putin also met Trump's envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, in Moscow. According to Kremlin, the meeting was positive and the Russian side reaffirmed that reaching a long-term settlement can't be expected without solving the territorial issue.
- It must be noted that Russia has maintained that it will not evacuate the eastern Donbas region that it captured during the war.
- "Russia's position is well known on the fact that Ukraine, Ukrainian armed forces, have to leave the territory of the Donbas," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "This is a very important condition."
- At present, Ukraine controls nearly 20 per cent of the eastern region and has called Russia's demand 'unacceptable'. Zelenskyy has said that Donbas is a "key issue" and has cautioned that the talks "could go differently".
- However, Russia has warned that the talks will fail if it does not get complete access to eastern Donbas. It has said that Russia will "continue to achieve its objectives... on the battlefield."
- As of now, both Russia and Ukraine are struggling. While the Russian economy is struggling due to international sanctions, Ukraine is also short of money even though it has been regularly receiving western assistance.
- Quoting sources, AFP has reported that the role of Trump and the US will be crucial in the trilateral talks. "A lot will depend on the position of the Americans," they said.
- Trump has repeatedly stressed that Ukraine must agree to the peace plan proposed by him. "I believe they're at a point now where they can come together and get a deal done. And if they don't, they're stupid -- that goes for both of them," he said on Wednesday.
- Amid all this, Zelenskyy has criticised his European allies, saying his repeated warnings feel like 'Groundhog Day'. "Just last year, here in Davos, I ended my speech with the words: Europe needs to know how to defend itself. A year has passed. And nothing has changed. We are still in a situation where I must say the same words again," Zelenskyy said in Davos.
