Zelensky Welcomes U.S. Messages After Abu Dhabi Talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the first day of U.S.-led talks with Russia in Abu Dhabi was constructive and substantive, and that he was encouraged by messages from U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff. The discussions were focused on efforts to end the war, but the participants’ accounts showed disagreement over whether a ceasefire should precede talks about wider European security arrangements.

Speaking to journalists in Denmark on Tuesday, November 10, after the first day of trilateral discussions, Zelensky said he saw changes in the U.S. approach. He said the agenda included developing a new security architecture for Europe, an idea raised by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Zelensky said he was cautious because he had not seen the documents the United States and Russia had discussed.

Zelensky set out a sequence in which the war would stop first, followed by security guarantees for Ukraine and then possible broader dialogue on European and global security. He said the order mattered. The idea of a new European security architecture had been raised by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2021, Zelensky said, adding that the administration of...