Abu Dhabi negotiations end without breakthrough
U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin separately after two days of U.S.-brokered talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Abu Dhabi, which ended without a breakthrough on a broader ceasefire or peace agreement. Kushner stated on the social media platform X that the United States now focuses on "facilitating direct engagement" between Moscow and European partners. The U.S. is also preparing the agenda for the next round of trilateral talks. Kushner noted that NATO remains a "critical pillar" of European security and provides "credible" security guarantees for Ukraine. Several ideas emerged from these discussions that may lead to breakthroughs or evolve into proposals to bridge remaining gaps. The failed Abu Dhabi summit marks a clear stagnation in direct bilateral progress between the warring delegations. Kushner and Witkoff intend to facilitate these upcoming trilateral discussions to bridge the gaps between the parties.
NATO membership and territorial concessions
Zelensky told journalists on Nov. 13 that a new American proposal involves granting Ukraine NATO membership in exchange for withdrawing from territories it still controls. "What if Ukraine joins NATO? Would Ukraine withdraw from Donbas?" Zelensky asked. The discussion focuses on the Donbas region, which consists of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. Russian forces have not managed to fully capture the oblasts they partially occupied in 2014.
| Proposal component | Detail |
|---|---|
| Ukrainian security | NATO membership |
| Territorial condition | Withdrawal from controlled areas |
| Target region | Donbas (Donetsk and Luhansk) |
The American question regarding the Donbas remains the central point of the new proposal. This exchange of NATO membership for territorial withdrawal remains unverified as a final agreement. Zelensky noted that the Americans specifically raised the issue of whether Ukraine would withdraw from the Donbas if it joined NATO. This specific question about Donbas is the first time the United States has raised this territorial issue in the current negotiation framework. The Donbas region’s status remains a primary obstacle in the peace talks. This regional dispute involves the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.
