USA Hosts Peace Talks Between Russia and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi

US Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll is holding talks in Abu Dhabi with Ukraine’s military intelligence chief and a Russian delegation as Washington tries to reach a deal to end the Kremlin’s war, the Financial Times reports.

Driscoll began talks with the Russians on Monday evening, according to a U.S. official and two people familiar with the meeting. Discussions were to continue on Tuesday. The composition of the Russian delegation was not immediately clear, and it also remained unclear whether the three sides were meeting in Abu Dhabi or negotiating separately.

But, according to two people familiar with the situation, Driscoll was also to meet with Budanov, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Chief.

The talks in the UAE followed several days of tense meetings in Kyiv and Geneva, during which Driscoll delivered the Trump administration’s controversial 28-point peace plan to Zelenskyi.

The Geneva talks resulted in a new 19-point peace agreement that was more favorable to Kyiv than the previous framework. But the most politically sensitive elements – including territorial issues and relations between NATO, Russia and the United States – were left to the presidents of the countries to decide, according to Ukraine’s First Deputy Foreign Minister Serhiy Kyslytsya.

The American official said that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy, “broke up to continue working on these materials on their side,” adding that Driscoll “can continue to have conversations.”

“Driscoll has been quite actively involved in this peace process in recent days,” the U.S. official said, referring to talks with Ukrainian officials in recent days. “He’s obviously been very involved, so he can convey that idea to Russia.”

Leaders of the UK, France and other European countries will hold a session on Tuesday to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine under a possible ceasefire. French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday warned of an agreement that would effectively be a “surrender” for Ukraine and would inspire Russia to “go further to other Europeans and jeopardize our entire security.”

Speaking to RTL radio, Macron added that only Kyiv should decide on territorial concessions, and that the use of Russian frozen assets stored in Europe should be decided by Europe.

France, the United Kingdom, Turkey and other countries would also be ready to provide “reassurance forces” away from the front lines to ensure training and security, he said.