US and Russian officials have held talks to fine tune a peace plan to end Moscow’s war with Ukraine as Washington intensifies pressure on both sides to clinch a deal to end Europe’s largest and bloodiest conflict since World War II.
US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll met with a Russian delegation in Abu Dhabi on November 25, according to a US Army spokesman, in an attempt to narrow differences in a peace proposal the Trump administration has put together after talks between US and Ukrainian officials in Geneva.
Ukrainian officials flew to Abu Dhabi for more talks with Driscoll and other US officials, CBS News and the Financial Times reported.
The talks came as Russia again battered Kyiv, killing at least six people in air strikes that also wounded at least 13 others.
“Late Monday (November 24) and throughout Tuesday, Secretary Driscoll and team have been in discussions with the Russian delegation to achieve a lasting peace in Ukraine. The talks are going well and we remain optimistic. Secretary Driscoll is closely synchronized with the White House…as these talks progress,” said US Army Lieutenant Colonel Jeff Tolbert, a spokesperson for Driscoll.
The initial US-proposed 28-point peace deal was seen by many as heavily favorable to Moscow.
Ukrainian officials flew to Geneva over the weekend to meet with US representatives, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, to try and hammer out a draft that would require fewer concessions from Ukraine and not result in what some in Kyiv saw as near capitulation .
During the Geneva talks, the draft was whittled down to 19 points, with Ukrainian officials noting that some of the most sensitive issues — including security guarantees for Kyiv — remain on the table.
“Last night, Russia launched another attack — at a time when Ukraine, together with America, Europe, and many others around the world, are working virtually around the clock to stop the bloodshed,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said after holding talks on November 25 with British Prime Minister Keith Starmer.
“Following the meetings in Geneva, we see many prospects that can make the path to peace real. There are solid results, and much work still lies ahead,” he added.
Rustem Umerov, a former defense minister who is now secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council and a member of Kyiv’s negotiating team, said in a post on Facebook that the “most important points in the peace plan have been agreed upon.
“Our delegations reached a common understanding on the key terms of the agreement negotiated in Geneva. Now we count on the support of our European partners in further steps,” Umerov said.
“We look forward to organizing a visit of Ukraine’s president to the US at the earliest suitable date in November to complete final steps and make a deal with President Trump.”
Starmer said that a meeting of the so-called “Coalition of the Willing” — a grouping of more than 20 nations backing Ukraine — will take place later on November 25 to discuss the proposals, but added that the negotiations are delicate.
“There’s still a long way to go and a tough road ahead, but we’re more committed than ever to this cause and to keeping pushing forward on this process,” he said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on November 25 that he had “nothing to say” about the reported meetings, but that Russia believes the US proposal “could become a very good basis for negotiations.”
