Ukraine War28 October, 20262 min read
Archive photo · 21 July 2019Zelenskyy In Kyiv Signals Openness To Russia Security Guarantees Ahead Of Abu Dhabi Talks
“we are not yet at a point where Vladimir Putin has demonstrated any willingness to back off”
“many questions about the process remain, including whether Europe will have a seat at the table”
Photo: Mykola Lazarenko / Presidential Office of Ukraine, CC BY 4.0 · Cropped for layout
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Zelenskyy open to discussing Russia's security guarantees within a future peace framework. Diplomatic activity ramps up to pursue a ceasefire and final peace ahead of Abu Dhabi talks.
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Zelensky Opens Door
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in Kyiv that “First we must resolve the question of this war and only afterwards seek answers to the questions Russia raises on the basis of its own notions and expectations of security,” while he also indicated openness to discussing Russian demands for security guarantees within a future peace arrangement.
Zelenskyy told journalists that Europe “must be involved” in negotiations and said the planned talks would be “technical consultations on possible steps toward de-escalation,” including a ceasefire for attacks on energy facilities and at sea.
POLITICO described Kyiv and Moscow preparing to send negotiating teams to Abu Dhabi for a three-way meeting with American officials, with the meeting penciled in for Nov. 10.
Mike Pompeo told RFE/RL that Putin has shown “no willingness to end his war against Ukraine,” and Pompeo warned that Moscow’s actions have not demonstrated any willingness to “back off on his terror campaign.”
Debate Over Guarantees
POLITICO said Zelenskyy worries that a new escalation in the U.S.-Iran war could derail negotiations over a truce in Ukraine, while it also reported that Zelenskyy wants Abu Dhabi talks to start with initial steps toward de-escalation such as ceasefires on energy infrastructure and for the Black Sea. Zelenskyy told reporters that “No one else has the authority to do so,” when he said marking out any boundaries, temporarily or permanently, can only be discussed at leader level.
RFE/RL quoted Pompeo saying that “you don't believe a single thing that he says,” while Pompeo argued that diplomacy should still be pursued but only with execution tested after an agreement is signed. DIE WELT reported that Zelenskyy voiced concern about rapprochement between Washington and Moscow and said Russia would offer the United States some kind of “economic marriage,” while it described discussions of possible joint ventures and reopening Russian airspace for American airlines.
What Comes Next
POLITICO said European leaders are adamant they must be included in final negotiations because they are providing the “vast bulk of financial and military support to Ukraine,” and it added that Trump ended American aid in 2025. DIE WELT reported that Zelenskyy insisted that territorial questions could only be negotiated at the level of heads of state and government, and it said Kyiv was prepared to discuss an American proposal for a demilitarized zone on both sides of the front.
RFE/RL quoted Pompeo arguing that the outcome must include a “long-term commitment, a security architecture that makes the cost of the next advance by Vladimir Putin simply unacceptable,” and Pompeo said the focus should be on preventing an attack on the West, not only on Ukraine. Vietnam.vn reported that Zelensky told reporters that supplies from the United States are kept at around 12 Patriot missiles per month, while air defense systems consume about 35, which it said forces other partners to cover the missile shortage.
