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Service members of Ukraine’s 92nd Separate Mechanized Brigade conduct artillery drills at a shooting range in an undisclosed location in eastern Ukraine, as shown in a photo released on December 17, 2021, by Reuters.
– The Kremlin reports that diplomatic efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict are gaining momentum.
– U.S. envoy Witkoff leads discussions with Vladimir Putin, which the Kremlin describes as “useful.”
– Moscow states it prefers diplomatic solutions but will continue pursuing its objectives through military means.
In Moscow, Ukrainian, American, and Russian officials are scheduled to hold security talks in the United Arab Emirates today, following a meeting between top U.S. negotiators and President Vladimir Putin in Moscow centered on a U.S.-proposed plan to bring an end to the Ukraine war.
Diplomatic initiatives to resolve Europe’s most devastating conflict since World War II have accelerated recently, though disagreements over territorial concessions in a post-war arrangement persist between Moscow and Kyiv.
U.S. negotiators, led by envoy Steve Witkoff, discussed with Putin into early Friday morning, according to a Kremlin statement. Yuri Ushakov, a Kremlin diplomatic adviser, reviewed the talks as “useful in every aspect.” Witkoff and his team are expected to fly next to Abu Dhabi for continued discussions.
A Russian delegation, led by General Igor Kostyukov, head of Russia’s military intelligence agency GRU, will also attend in the upcoming hours, Ushakov confirmed. “The first meeting of a trilateral working group on security issues will take place today in Abu Dhabi,” he added.
While Moscow claims it is interested in resolving the conflict politically and diplomatically, Ushakov emphasized that until an agreement is reached, Russia will continue achieving its objectives militarily.
Witkoff previously remarked that the two sides were “down to one main issue,” though he did not specify.
A video showed Putin smiling and shaking hands with Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and White House advisor Josh Gruenbaum, following the high-stakes discussions. This meeting occurred shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that a draft agreement was “almost ready” and that he and former President Trump had reached consensus regarding security guarantees post-conflict.
Zelensky also stated that the UK and France had committed combat forces on the ground. He identified Rustem Umerov, Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, and Lieutenant General Andriy Gnatov, chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, as Ukrainian delegates attending the UAE talks.
Russia, which occupies approximately 20% of Ukraine, aims to regain total control of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region as part of a potential deal. Kyiv warns that ceding land would embolden Moscow and insists it will not sign any peace agreement that doesn’t include measures to prevent Russia from renewing assaults.
The specifics of the UAE talks remain undisclosed, and it’s unclear if the Russian and Ukrainian delegates will have face-to-face meetings. Zelensky indicated the negotiations would last two days.
Former President Trump opined that Putin and Zelensky are “close to a deal,” suggesting they could reach an agreement soon, criticizing their perceived stalling.
In his address at Davos, Zelensky criticized the European Union’s lack of political resolve in countering Putin, characterizing Europe as a “fragmented kaleidoscope” of small and middle-sized powers, rather than a unified global force.
Recent Russian missile strikes have knocked out electricity in much of Kyiv, leaving 4,000 buildings without heating in freezing temperatures. Russia claims its strikes target Ukraine’s energy infrastructure to hamper its military. Kyiv regards these strikes as war crimes aimed at weakening civilians.
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