The two-day meetings, led on the American side by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, are prioritizing a NATO-style Article 5 defense mechanism for Ukraine. Territorial boundaries will be postponed until broader security architectures are settled, given the vast gap between Kyiv's demand for full Russian withdrawal and Moscow's insistence on holding the entire Donbas. Ukrainian foreign intelligence chief Rustem Umerov is briefing excluded European partners separately while advocating for an immediate halt to fighting and reliable humanitarian and economic recovery terms.
Key points
Disagreements over territorial boundaries remain a major obstacle, with Russia demanding…: Disagreements over territorial boundaries remain a major obstacle, with Russia demanding the full Donbas and Ukraine requiring a total withdrawal.
A proposed NATO-style Article 5 defense mechanism serves as a primary focus of the trilat…: A proposed NATO-style Article 5 defense mechanism serves as a primary focus of the trilateral security talks.
Ukrainian intelligence chief Rustem Umerov is conducting side briefings with European all…: Ukrainian intelligence chief Rustem Umerov is conducting side briefings with European allies to address their concerns regarding potential concessions.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
Zelenskyy says Kyiv in strengthened position for talks as officials seek end to Russia-Ukraine war
We are restarting our Europe live blog ahead of the US-led trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi that seek an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine.
The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said on the eve of the talks that Ukrainian battlefield successes were strengthening Kyiv’s position in negotiations.
The three-sided talks between Ukrainian, Russian and US negotiators are to open on Tuesday and will be the first substantive talks since February aimed at ending the war, which has raged on for more than four-and-a-half years.
“Ukrainian forces are currently genuinely strengthening Ukraine’s negotiating position,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address on Monday. “Every task that is fully accomplished – every defensive operation that increases Ukraine’s strength and delivers results – strengthens Ukraine and, above all, strengthens us in negotiations.”
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner (who is also Donald Trump’s son-in-law) are to lead the American delegation at the talks, which are scheduled for two days. In Washington, Trump said on Monday…
The disclosure from Sonia Gandhi's memoir offers a rare glimpse into internal power dynamics and leadership tensions within the United Progressive Alliance government. The revelation prompted a public pushback from Sharmistha Mukherjee, who argued that senior leaders with extensive governance experience naturally harbor top-level aspirations. This exchange underscores the delicate balancing act between party leadership and government authority during Manmohan Singh's tenure.
Severe winter weather has devastated displaced populations living across the Gaza Strip, sweeping away shelters and escalating risks of disease and structural collapses. With Israeli forces occupying nearly 70 percent of the territory, displaced civilians are confined to unsanitary, crowded spaces while vital relief materials remain blocked at the border. Pressure is growing on the Israeli government to fulfill its legal obligations as the occupying power by allowing stalled humanitarian supplies into the enclave.
The judicial determination resolves an extraordinary public standoff between the royal palace and prosecutors that briefly saw the former leader returned to custody after being released. He will remain confined to his Kuala Lumpur residence until August 2028 under a conditional royal pardon following the payment of a major financial penalty. However, the arrangement offers only partial relief as he continues to challenge a separate lengthy prison term tied to the wider 1MDB scandal.