US and Kyiv seek security guarantees in Abu Dhabi peace talks

Russian, Ukrainian and US negotiators will hold talks in Abu Dhabi starting Tuesday, the first such session since February, to discuss ending the nearly five-year war, with security guarantees as the top priority. The two-day talks follow a localized truce last month around Russian-occupied Oleshky in southern Ukraine, brokered with US first lady Melania Trump's help, which enabled evacuations and humanitarian deliveries. Previous negotiations earlier this year yielded no visible progress. Russia and Ukraine remain far apart, with President Vladimir Putin demanding Ukrainian troop withdrawals from four illegally annexed regions, NATO abandonment, and military limits, while President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejects any voluntary territorial concessions.