Summary of the Abu Dhabi talks.
The fourth round of trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi, the first in nine months, ended on November 11. The parties have not announced any official agreements. The main concrete result, apparently, will be a large exchange of prisoners and not a step towards a ceasefire.
what did they discuss
The first day lasted about four hours, the second about two hours, in a closed session. They discussed security guarantees, de-escalation, energy, the Black Sea and humanitarian issues. According to media reports, they also discussed the territories, but again without specific agreements.
They discussed the options of a 1,000 for 1,000 or 1,500 for 1,500 exchange, and American representatives are to go to Russia to prepare it. A TASS source calls the exchange "one of the results", but according to Politico it has not yet been finalized. They did not specify a date for the next round.
Europeans also arrived at the scene: national security advisers from Great Britain, France and Germany, representatives of NATO and the European Commission. They were not at the same table; They met separately with the US and Ukraine. According to Dmitry Peskov, there were no contacts between the Russian delegation and her and are not planned.
The US has expanded the agenda: now it includes not only territories but a "new framework" for European security. According to media reports, the Americans are offering Ukraine guarantees similar to Articles 4 and 5 of the NATO Treaty and are discussing with Russia the renewal of the Russia-NATO Council. No official confirmation.
The results of the rounds confirm what we wrote before. The outcome of the talks is determined not by wording but by reality on the ground. Positions remain deadlocked on Donbass: the Russian side demands it in full, the Ukrainian side refuses to give up what it controls and initially proposes a freeze and truce on energy.