 "Zelenskyy and Putin in an AI-generated image")
As the US ramps up talks between Russia and Ukraine in hopes of ending the long-drawn war, the Kremlin is less optimistic about the scope of the meeting. Russia, Ukraine and the US are all set to hold talks in Abu Dhabi on Friday.
Moscow has warned that, after a late-night meeting between President Vladimir Putin and three US envoys, a durable peace would not be possible unless territorial issues were resolved.
Nevertheless, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov has told reporters that talks between Putin and Trump’s envoys, which began shortly before midnight and lasted some four hours, had been “substantive, constructive and very frank.”
“Most importantly, during these talks between our president and the Americans, it was reiterated that without resolving the territorial issue according to the formula agreed upon in Anchorage, there is no hope of achieving a long-term settlement,” he said, referring to last year’s Trump-Putin summit in Alaska.
Ushakov said Putin underlined that Russia was “sincerely interested” in a diplomatic solution.
He added, however: “Until this is achieved, Russia will continue to consistently pursue the objectives of the special military operation. This is especially true on the battlefield, where the Russian armed forces hold the strategic initiative.”
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Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has expressed optimism that the trilateral talks would prove productive. “Anytime we meet, it’s good. If we don’t meet, nothing’s going to happen. In the first three years, nobody met… So we are meeting, and we’ll see what happens. I hope we can save a lot of lives, that’s all,” he said.
“Everybody’s making concessions to get it done. Europe is going to be a part of it. It’s more for Europe than for me. I mean, I’m doing this more for Europe than for me. I’m doing it to save lives. I’m doing it for Europe… It doesn’t affect us very much,” the president added.
The full details of the upcoming talks in the United Arab Emirates have not been released, and it is not clear whether the Russian and Ukrainian officials will meet face-to-face.
Zelenskyy said these talks would last two days.