New trilateral talks on Ukraine war in Abu Dhabi: What to expect?

Trilateral negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine, and the United States are set to commence in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday and Wednesday. Following a previous series of US-mediated peace talks in January and February that proved unsuccessful, these new discussions will center around post-war security arrangements, de-escalation, humanitarian efforts, and steps towards lasting peace.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has emphasized security guarantees, an energy ceasefire, Black Sea unblocking, prisoner exchanges, and leader meetings among his key priorities. Ukrainian delegation leader Rustem Umerov and lawmaker Davyd Arakhamia expressed skepticism about achieving significant progress, highlighting the challenges posed by the lengthy negotiation hiatus.

The US delegation includes special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, while Russia is represented by Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky and a team of military and intelligence officials. Europe will be present in an observational role, with representatives from Germany, France, the UK, and Italy attending. Security experts predict that the talks may focus on prisoner exchanges and humanitarian ceasefires, but doubt concrete agreements will emerge due to Russia's reluctance to involve European representatives.