Russia refused to discuss a ceasefire in Abu Dhabi and shifted the talks toward European security

The Russian delegation refused to discuss a ceasefire, attacks on energy infrastructure and vessels in the Black Sea, as well as territorial issues, during trilateral negotiations with Ukraine and the United States held in Abu Dhabi on November 10 and 11.

According to sources cited by RBC-Ukraine, Moscow’s representatives shifted the focus to Europe’s future security architecture, while the war in Ukraine became a secondary topic. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the Ukrainian delegation raised the issue of a truce in the Black Sea and a halt to attacks on energy infrastructure, but the Russians claimed they did not have a mandate for these discussions.

Zelenskyy said that U.S. officials are expected to address the topics with Vladimir Putin and discuss the possibility of a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders. Moscow’s representatives, however, requested further progress before a possible meeting.

The negotiations were the first between Russia, the United States and Ukraine in the past nine months. According to the cited sources, Moscow reiterated its demands for NATO to return to its 1997 configuration and for military cooperation with Ukraine and other post-Soviet states to be limited. The participation of advisers from France, Germany and the United Kingdom has not been established, while territorial disagreements remain the main obstacle to a security agreement.