Kushner and Witkoff Conclude Two Day Ukraine Russia Talks in Abu Dhabi
Negotiators addressed humanitarian exchanges and security guarantees as Russian drones hit St. Petersburg and Ukrainian cities.
By Isaac Medina ·
U.S. mediators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff concluded a two day negotiation session with Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
The meetings marked the first face to face contact between the two sides in nine months. Delegates met for four hours on Tuesday in the United Arab Emirates capital, a location selected for its neutrality. The talks were scheduled to end later on Wednesday.
Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service, confirmed the start of the second day on social media. He stated that the schedule included three way talks involving Russia, Ukraine, and the United States. After that session, Kyiv’s delegation planned to meet with European officials.
Moscow had resisted including European nations in direct negotiations due to concerns over their stance on Russia’s regional intentions. Representatives from European governments, the European Union, and NATO were present in Abu Dhabi to consult with the Ukrainian team.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the Tuesday session as constructive and quite substantive. He noted that discussions focused on humanitarian matters, including prisoner exchanges and the return of Ukrainian civilians and children held in captivity. Security guarantees were also part of the agenda, though both sides showed little sign of compromising on their core demands.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the meeting very productive but cautioned that reaching a breakthrough would take time. The diplomatic effort occurs as the Trump administration prepares for a shift in Congress in January, where Democrats may push for increased support for Ukraine. Russia’s wartime economy is under strain, while Ukraine faces damaging aerial attacks on its power grid.
Fighting continues on the front line where little territory has changed hands this year. Russia’s Defense Ministry reported that air defenses downed 627 Ukrainian drones overnight. Alexander Drozdenko, the regional governor, said 150 of those drones flew over the St. Petersburg region. The attack started a fire at the port of Ust Luga, a major Russian oil export facility, and injured three workers. Russian strikes also hit the Zaporizhzhia region and Kharkiv, wounding seven civilians.
