US officials see private flexibility in Ukraine-Russia talks

US officials report that Moscow and Kyiv have shown no public concessions on their demands ahead of talks in Abu Dhabi, though they suggest both sides display some private flexibility. High-level delegations from Russia, Ukraine, and the US will meet before the fifth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion. Jared Kushner, part of the US delegation with peace envoy Steve Witkoff, said negotiations will focus on resolving postwar security issues concerning both nations. A US official indicated that while neither side has conceded publicly, both have privately demonstrated "some flexibility" on control of eastern Ukrainian regions, though the discussion won't address a new security architecture. For Ukraine, postwar security may involve allied guarantees of assistance in case of future attack, while Russia seeks NATO withdrawal from Eastern Europe. The proposed framework includes security consultations, crisis communication lines, mutual de-escalation measures, and potentially reviving the NATO-Russia Council, with the US suggesting a multilateral format involving Europeans.