President Volodymyr Zelenskyy outlined three main points from the talks in Abu Dhabi. He said one of the most important outcomes was Europe’s involvement in the diplomatic process.
He said this at a press conference with Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
Zelenskyy stressed that it is impossible to stop the war, discuss Europe’s security, and rebuild Ukraine without the participation of European countries. He called Europe’s involvement an important shift and a new format for diplomacy.
The second key issue, the President said, was making ending the war the top priority. In his words, the focus must first be on how to stop the fighting, and only then on discussing the future security architecture and reconstruction.
“The most important thing is to stop the war, because we are losing people,” the head of state stressed.
He also expressed hope that the Ukrainian, American and European negotiating teams clearly conveyed this position during the meeting in Abu Dhabi.
The third point Zelenskyy highlighted was the possible next steps following the talks. He expects that after the meeting concludes in the evening there will be a briefing, and that the Ukrainian side will be able to contact its representatives and discuss the next actions.
Among the priority issues, the President named a ceasefire covering energy infrastructure and at sea, a prisoner exchange, and a possible leaders’ meeting.
What is known about the course of the talks in Abu Dhabi?
- During the first day of the talks in Abu Dhabi, Russia raised the territorial issue, claiming it had supposedly already occupied half of Donbas, which in fact remains under Ukraine’s control.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that territorial issues should be discussed at the level of state leaders. He said the American side confirmed Ukraine’s assessment of the situation on the front line.
- Among the key goals of the talks, Ukraine identifies an end to hostilities, reliable security guarantees, economic recovery and humanitarian issues.
- On the second day, the Ukrainian delegation plans to raise the issue of a leaders’ meeting, although Kyiv assumes Russia is not yet ready for such a format. Ukraine, the United States and Russia are taking part in the talks; at the same time, representatives of European partners are also in the UAE, including Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, the European Commission and NATO.