US, Russia and Ukraine hold peace talks in Abu Dhabi as Trump predicts war's end

American, Ukrainian and Russian representatives met in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday for trilateral peace talks, with President Donald Trump saying the war "is going to end soon" after 1,721 days of Russia's full-scale invasion. The U.S. delegation is led by envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, while Ukraine's team is headed by Rustem Umerov and Russia's by Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky. The talks follow limited progress this year, including prisoner exchanges and localized ceasefires, with both sides remaining far apart on key issues. Russian demands include Ukraine withdrawing from four contested regions and permanently renouncing NATO membership, while Kyiv insists on concrete security guarantees from allies. Ukrainian officials expressed little hope for tangible results, citing President Vladimir Putin's "absurd demands" and suggesting he aims to avoid sanctions rather than reach a settlement.