A whirlwind of diplomacy pushes Ukraine, Russia and the US toward a possible ceasefire deal
A surge of diplomatic activity has unfolded as international officials attempt to steer Ukraine and Russia toward a ceasefire after almost four years of devastating conflict. A series of proposals has moved rapidly between Washington, Kyiv and Moscow, with negotiations accelerating across several countries in an effort to bring an end to the war that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.
The latest effort began with a twenty eight point peace plan presented last Wednesday by Donald Trump as a potential framework for halting the fighting. By the end of the weekend, the proposal had already been redrafted into a shorter nineteen point version that appeared less favourable to Moscow. Within days, officials from the United States, Russia and Ukraine gathered in Abu Dhabi to work on a third iteration that could form the basis of a future settlement.
Pjotr Sauer, the Guardian’s Russian affairs reporter, described the past week as a period of exceptional speed in high level diplomacy. He said the volume of travel, meetings and redrafting has created the sense of a race to shape an outcome while momentum remains. According to Sauer, senior Ukrainian and American representatives met in Geneva during the first stage of discussions, while European governments convened their own sessions in an attempt to influence the process.
This flurry of engagement has now been followed by meetings in Abu Dhabi that bring Ukrainian, Russian and American officials together in the same location. Sauer said observers are tracking the situation closely, amid reports that Volodymyr Zelenskiy may travel to Washington for direct talks with Trump. There is also speculation that United States officials could head to Moscow for negotiations inside the Kremlin.
Ukraine has indicated that it broadly accepts the shape of the emerging plan, provided that several details are resolved. Officials in Kyiv have not yet publicly named those outstanding issues, but the statement suggests that Ukrainian representatives believe the framework could be workable with further refinement. Questions remain over whether Russia will accept the terms under discussion or seek new concessions as the talks progress.
Sauer said the pace of development has both surprised and unsettled diplomats who have tracked the war since the first months of fighting. The speed at which competing proposals have been drafted reflects the urgency of bringing the conflict to an end, while also revealing the intense pressure facing each government involved in the process. He said that while the activity demonstrates willingness to compromise, it also risks leaving crucial details unclear until the final round of talks.
At the summit in Abu Dhabi, negotiators attempted to merge the elements of earlier drafts into a document that could be presented to leaders for approval. Although those participating in the talks have not disclosed the specifics of the latest text, the meeting marks the closest the parties have come to a shared diplomatic platform since the early stages of the war.
Despite signs of movement from Kyiv, the position of Russia remains uncertain. Previous rounds of diplomacy have collapsed over disagreements on territory, security guarantees and the future of regions occupied by Russian forces. Sauer said that while no explicit rejection has been issued, analysts believe Moscow will weigh the terms carefully before signalling its stance.
As intense negotiations continue, the question remains whether this rapid sequence of meetings can result in a lasting ceasefire or whether the pace of change masks deeper divisions still to be resolved. The coming days may determine whether the Abu Dhabi talks evolve into a genuine breakthrough or form another stage in a conflict that has tested the limits of international diplomacy.