ALBAWABA - The talks would mark the first time the two sides held a summit since February, raising hopes of a breakthrough in ending the war which will soon be entering its fifth year.
The talks are set to be held over two days in the UAE’s capital Abu Dhabi, with the main issue on the agenda being security guarantees to make sure that any further conflict could be avoided.
The negotiations come on the heels of a week-long truce between the warring nations brokered by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump; the truce which was observed by both nations was touted as a positive indicator of upcoming talks.
On the Russian side, Putin’s demands are for Ukraine to pull their troops out of the four regions Russia illegally annexed over the course of the war, along with Ukraine abandoning its bid to join NATO and accepting strict limits on its military, and finally to drop restrictions on the Russian language and the Moscow-affiliated Orthodox Church.
Putin has stressed that any kind of cessation of fighting hinges on these demands, arguing that any halt in hostilities would only give Ukraine time to recover and resupply.
On the Ukrainian side, Zelenskyy ceding any land which Russia has not physically conquered while agreeing on limits on the military if arrangements are made with Western allies; which it sees as essential security guarantees to stop Russia invading again in the future.
Ukraine, however, argues that an immediate ceasefire is the first step toward achieving any kind of positive settlement.
Thus the agenda of security guarantees is a top priority for both sides, as Russia looks to hinder NATO encroachment, while Ukraine wants guarantees that this would be the last conflict it would face.
In an interview on Nov. 5, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine's security guarantees boil down to what would his Western allies do if Russia launches a new invasion of his country in the future.
“If Russia starts again, what will happen,” Zelenskyy asked. “Who will do what, with what means, and when?”
Lavrov says that the upcoming tri-lateral talks in Abu Dhabi will discuss issues "concerning the security of Russia, Ukraine and the region as a whole."
Should Russia become a normal country, the security of Russia, Ukraine and the region as a whole would be much more realistic. https://t.co/26kPzJOFhA
Ukraine further insists on having European allies present at the Abu Dhabi talks, something which Russia categorically rejects.
“No one is going to invite them to the negotiating table,” Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said, he added that if they fly there, they won't be allowed into the room.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov clarified, saying Europeans would need to be involved in broader negotiations, but only later.
“Since the discussion will touch upon the future security architecture in Europe while addressing the mutual security of Russia and Ukraine, at some stage it would be impossible to do it without the Europeans,” he said.
Putin has warned repeatedly that Russia will achieve its goals by force if Ukraine fails to accept its conditions for peace as the country continues to target Ukrainian power and energy infrastructure ahead of the winter.
Pshemaf Choiaqo is a digital marketer with a passion for media, style, and presentation.
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