On Wednesday, Nov. 26, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov confirmed that Russian and Ukrainian representatives convened in Abu Dhabi earlier this month for confidential talks on “very sensitive issues,” including potential prisoner exchanges.
During the sessions, the intelligence officials from both sides also met unexpectedly with U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, a U.S. official told Reuters. Despite the involvement of Trump administration figures, delegates did not delve into the recently unveiled U.S.-drafted peace plan.
“The peace plan was not discussed in Abu Dhabi. The peace plan has not yet been discussed in detail with anyone,” Ushakov told Russian state TV. He added that while some proposals looked promising, many required “truly serious analysis” by experts.
Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump introduced a 28-point peace proposal aimed at ending the conflict. Since then, Kyiv and European partners have pushed for revisions more favorable to Ukrainian terms. Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, is slated to travel to Moscow next week to present the revised framework to Russian President Vladimir Putin, with Jared Kushner also playing a role.
Ukraine has indicated support for the updated blueprint but stresses that key issues must be finalized in a high-stakes meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Trump.
As global eyes turn to these behind-the-scenes efforts, observers are keen to see whether backchannel diplomacy in Abu Dhabi will translate into concrete steps toward peace or reveal the deep-rooted challenges ahead.
Reference(s):
Kremlin says Russian, Ukrainian representatives met in Abu Dhabi
cgtn.com
