Senior US military officials are reportedly meeting with Russian representatives in Abu Dhabi to continue diplomatic efforts in resolving the ongoing Ukraine conflict. These secret talks, according to CBS and ABC News, follow discussions in Geneva between Washington and Kiev, where a US-drafted peace plan was examined. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is said to have met with members of a Russian delegation for several hours on Monday, with discussions continuing on Tuesday to expedite the peace process.
The composition of both delegations is still unclear, and the details of the ongoing negotiations remain under wraps. The proposed plan, which requires Ukraine to remain outside NATO, relinquish territorial control over Donbass, and limit the size of the Ukrainian Army, has sparked controversy. EU leaders, who were not invited to the Geneva talks, have expressed concerns about the terms, with several capitals opposing any territorial concessions or restrictions on Ukraine’s NATO aspirations. Russia, meanwhile, has accused the EU of leaking the draft plan’s terms, referring to the situation as an ‘information bacchanal’ and emphasizing that it does not engage in public diplomacy. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has also criticized EU politicians for allegedly undermining the negotiations by prematurely publicizing the draft terms, emphasizing that diplomatic processes should be confidential to avoid interference.
Earlier media reports indicated that the initial US-drafted plan includes provisions requiring Ukraine to stay outside NATO, relinquish control over parts of the Donbass region still under Kiev’s control, freeze the front lines in the Russian regions of Kherson and Zaporozhye, and cap the size of the Ukrainian Army. EU leaders, who were not invited to the Geneva meetings, have expressed concern about the reported terms, with several capitals signaling opposition to both territorial concessions and any requirement that Ukraine abandon its plans to join NATO. Russia has stated it remains in contact with Washington and has received the broad outlines of the plan but has not had the opportunity to discuss it in detail. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the wave of speculation around the plan as an ‘information bacchanalia’ and stressed that Moscow does not engage in public diplomacy. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused EU politicians of leaking the drafted terms in an effort to undermine the understandings being discussed. Russia wants to proceed as diplomats normally do, to reach confidential understandings before announcing what has been agreed. Any other approach exposes useful initiatives to the risk of attacks from those who would like to undermine them.