What to know about upcoming peace talks involving Russian, Ukrainian and US officials

The first time since February, negotiators from Russia, Ukraine, and the United States are set to hold talks in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, to end the ongoing full-scale war that has been raging for five years. The two-day session, beginning on Tuesday, will focus on security guarantees as the primary agenda item, following previous unsuccessful negotiations this year.

The latest truce in the war, brokered with the assistance of U.S. First Lady Melania Trump, allowed for the evacuation of some residents from the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky in southern Ukraine, allowing for the delivery of humanitarian aid. However, despite this localized ceasefire, the conflict has persisted along a 1,200-kilometer front line, with both sides employing long-range attacks using drones and missiles.

Russia and Ukraine have starkly opposing demands for any potential peace deal. President Vladimir Putin of Russia wants Ukraine to withdraw its troops from the four regions it annexed illegally at the beginning of the war but has not fully taken control of. He also insists Ukraine refrain from joining NATO, accept strict limitations on its military, and cease restrictions on the Russian language and the Moscow-affiliated Orthodox Church within Ukraine.

Putin will not agree to a general cease-fire unless these conditions are met, as he believes such a pause would merely grant Ukrainian forces time to rest and replenish their weapons.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejects Putin's demands to surrender Ukrainian territory that Russia has not captured and agrees to limitations on the military and arrangements with Western partners, which Ukraine deems essential for ensuring its security. Ukraine argues that an immediate ceasefire is necessary to initiate negotiations for a comprehensive settlement and believes that a direct meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy is the only way to resolve territorial disputes.

Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine and its allies have discussed security guarantees akin to NATO's Article 5, which states that the alliance considers an attack on one member as an attack on all. He asked, "If Russia starts again, what will happen? Who will do what, with what means, and when?" Some European nations have contemplated deploying their troops to Ukraine should a peace deal be reached.

However, Russia vehemently opposes this, warning that any European military presence in Ukraine would be considered legitimate targets. Russia insists that any potential agreement should provide security assurances for itself as well.

Before the full-scale invasion in 2022, Russia demanded that NATO withdraw its troops and weapons from Central and Eastern Europe, viewing their presence as a security threat. Similar demands may be part of any comprehensive peace deal presented by Russia. U.S. President Donald Trump stated after meeting with Putin's envoy Kirill Dmitriev at the White House on November 4 that some kind of comprehensive agreement concerning European security was in the works, though he did not elaborate further. The deal could potentially involve all of Europe.

Ukraine seeks to include Europe in the negotiation process, while Russia adamantly opposes any involvement from European nations at this stage. Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov stated that no European envoys would be allowed into the negotiating room, even if they attended the talks. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov suggested that Europeans would need to participate in broader discussions concerning Europe's long-term security architecture while addressing the mutual security concerns of Russia and Ukraine.

This was evident when Finland's President Alexander Stubb and Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store spoke with Putin on October 27 in their personal capacities as the heads of Russia's Nordic neighbors, not on behalf of the European Union, which has struggled to select a negotiator with Moscow. Peskov sarcastically noted the EU's inability to decide who has the authority to speak on their behalf, calling it "protracted indecisiveness and a lack of readiness on its part."