Ukraine pushes to broaden peace talks beyond territorial swaps with Russia

Ukraine plans to hold a new trilateral round of peace negotiations with the United States and Russia in Abu Dhabi, trying to move the discussion beyond the contentious “territories for peace” demand that has stalled previous talks. The earlier 2026 talks collapsed over the symbolic issue of which flag would fly over a demilitarised zone in Donbas. Kyiv now wants the talks to address a broader security architecture for the country and the continent, linking any territorial compromises to long-term guarantees.

American envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have been instructed to secure a repeatable meeting schedule and modest wins such as prisoner exchanges. Russia has signaled willingness to discuss a new security structure, but insists on the removal of Ukrainian forces from the Donbas. European involvement is limited by the lack of a delegate with decision-making authority, though names like Björn Seibert are being floated. The outcome of these talks could shape the future of the conflict and the wider European security order.