‘Constructive’ Abu Dhabi talks resume, but a ceasefire is nowhere near

Back at the table. Ukrainian, Russian and US negotiators return to the table in Abu Dhabi today after a first day that produced contrasting messages, Sasha Vakulina reports.Kyiv and Washington both praised yesterday’s discussions, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calling them “constructive and quite substantive” and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio “very productive”.The talks covered prisoner exchanges, security guarantees and possible de-escalation. Moscow, however, struck a different tone: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov rejected a ceasefire and accused Europeans of seeking a truce to deploy troops to Ukraine.He also brushed off the European officials’ presence in Abu Dhabi: “Well, they flew to Abu Dhabi. Let them sit there in the hotel.” The Europeans held separate consultations with Kyiv and Washington but remain shut out of the trilateral negotiations, despite US signals that they could eventually join.The question now is whether the warm words can translate into progress while fundamental disagreements on territory and security remain unresolved.Territory is the main sticking point. A senior US official told American media that Ukraine and Russia have reportedly shown some private flexibility, although both remain publicly far apart.The same official said the territorial question cannot be settled before agreeing on Ukraine’s post-war security arrangements.