Ukraine sees possible pre-2027 solution after Abu Dhabi talks

Negotiations in Abu Dhabi between Russian and Ukrainian envoys ended Wednesday without a breakthrough, though Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia said a solution before the new year is "possible." Moscow also announced a new prisoner exchange. Arakhamia described the talks as "hard," with the Russian delegation arriving under "strict directives." Following the discussions, President Volodymyr Zelensky called for European participation in peace negotiations and urged U.S. pressure on Moscow, stating Ukraine wants to end the war "as quickly as possible with a dignified peace." Russia ruled out territorial swaps and rejected European involvement in future talks, while Berlin expects a direct European role in continued negotiations under U.S. mediation. U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff plan to meet Putin in Moscow and Zelensky in Dublin, seeking Russian consent for European participation.