Trump Envoys Broker First Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks in Nine Months

Russian and Ukrainian officials met in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday for their first US-brokered peace talks in nine months, following President Donald Trump's suggestion that a broad deal to end the war in Ukraine was possible. US envoy Jared Kushner said recent contacts had narrowed gaps between the sides. Ukraine's chief delegate Rustem Umerov focused on securing security guarantees and lasting peace, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov emphasized negotiating a broader European security framework before addressing the conflict's specifics. European officials pushed for a role in the process, meeting separately with Ukrainian and American representatives before the main session. The talks come with Russian forces holding about a fifth of Ukraine, and Moscow insisting on Ukraine's surrender of the Donbas region, which Kyiv refuses. A US official said negotiators believe both leaders may compromise on territory, though a senior Ukrainian official strongly denied any such concessions would be considered.