Budanov says Abu Dhabi talks discussed options for governing occupied Donbas territories – NYT
Talks in Abu Dhabi considered three possible options for post-war governance of Donbas territories: handing them over to private military contractors, placing them under the management of U.S.
Budanov, head of the Presidential Office, disclosed during interviews with The New York Times that recent talks in Abu Dhabi explored three potential models for governing the Donbas territories following the war. The options under consideration were entrusting the regions to private military firms, entrusting them to the Board of Peace led by U.S. President Donald Trump, or establishing shared civilian administrations between Ukraine and Russia.
According to Budanov, these suggestions were presented by the delegation, which also included U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and representatives from Russia and Ukraine. Budanov advised President Zelenskyy to reject any compromises that might grant Russia control over the occupied areas. The Presidential Office leader joined the negotiations in January to spearhead the process, as the U.S. envoy and his counterparts had already narrowed down a 20-point peace plan to solely two contentious issues: the administration of the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is under Russian control, and the governance of Ukrainian-held territories in Donbas.
The initial round of trilateral talks involving Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S. was held in Abu Dhabi on January 23-24, with a subsequent session scheduled for February 4-5.
Written by urgent.news from Interfax-Ukraine's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
