Zelenskyy Claims Military Edge Ahead of Abu Dhabi Peace Talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asserted that recent battlefield victories have improved his country's bargaining power as negotiators prepare to reconvene in Abu Dhabi. The meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, marks the third round of peace talks hosted by the United Arab Emirates this year. It follows earlier security consultations in January and February, with the last direct encounter between the three delegations occurring in Geneva on February 18.

In his nightly video address on Monday, Zelenskyy stated that Ukrainian forces are genuinely strengthening the nation's negotiating position. He described Russia as suffering record losses, a figure Moscow disputes, and urged the United States to pressure the Kremlin to halt the conflict. The president noted that General Mykhailo Drapatyi had presented a report highlighting heavy Russian casualties and the impact of Ukrainian long-range strikes on Russian oil facilities.

Zelenskyy argued that Ukraine is responding to the war in a justified manner to demonstrate that the fighting must end. "Russia can do this. It can end its war," he said. "It is important that the United States convince Russia of precisely this."

From Washington, President Donald Trump described a strong inclination toward ending the war, claiming both sides were tired of fighting. "We're having a very good conversation about that in Abu Dhabi," Trump told reporters. The president had pledged to resolve the conflict quickly after taking office in January 2025, yet a settlement remains elusive nearly five years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

A US official speaking on the condition of anonymity indicated that both Russia and Ukraine have privately shown flexibility regarding a potential exchange of territory. Security guarantees for Ukraine will be a central topic, including the possibility of a defense commitment modeled on Article 5 of NATO’s treaty. The official noted that any territorial agreement would likely be finalized at the end of the negotiations, after other issues such as a post-war security framework are settled.

The territorial divide remains sharp. Ukraine seeks to push Russia back to the original border, while Russian President Vladimir Putin aims to secure the entire Donbas region. Russia currently occupies roughly 20 percent of Ukraine, including Crimea and parts of eastern Donbas. Although the international community has not recognized these moves, Trump has previously urged Kyiv to cede territory to facilitate a deal.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio struck a more cautious tone, stating that the process still has ways to go. "We’ll keep trying," Rubio said. "And that’s what we’ve been trying to do the whole time is try to be creative and find ways that we can help bring that conflict and that war to an end."

Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service, will lead the Ukrainian delegation. Vladimir Medinsky, a Kremlin aide, will head the Russian team, accompanied by deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov and senior military officer Yuri Zhigarlovsky. The US delegation is led by envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

European powers, including France, Germany, and the European Commission, will send officials to Abu Dhabi, but Russia has indicated it does not want them participating in the core negotiations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the talks would remain a trilateral format between Russia, Ukraine, and the US mediator.

Peskov stated that Europeans would not take part because the negotiations were agreed upon as a three-way format. "What will take place in Abu Dhabi in the coming days is trilateral negotiations between Russia and Ukraine with US mediation," he said, adding that Americans and Ukrainians maintain separate communication channels with European partners.