U.S. Army Secretary Meets Russian Delegation in Abu Dhabi as Peace Push Accelerates
U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll met with Russian officials in Abu Dhabi on Monday as part of an accelerating diplomatic push aimed at advancing the Trump administration’s proposed Ukraine peace framework.
The Gaze reports this, referring to Reuters and CBS News.
A senior American official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the discussions in the United Arab Emirates lasted several hours and are expected to continue on Tuesday.
The composition of the Russian delegation has not been disclosed. Driscoll is also scheduled to hold talks with Ukrainian representatives while in Abu Dhabi.
According to CBS News, two U.S. officials and two diplomatic sources confirmed that the talks in Abu Dhabi followed a broader round of negotiations in Geneva over the weekend.
Those discussions included Driscoll, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, presidential adviser Jared Kushner, and diplomats from Ukraine and several European allies. Driscoll’s engagement with Russian officials came shortly after his visit to Kyiv last week.
CBS News also reported that U.S. and Ukrainian officials are exploring the possibility of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visiting Washington in the coming days, although no firm plans have been set.
One American official said Putin appears convinced he will ultimately seize the entirety of Ukraine’s Donetsk region – whether through negotiations or continued military pressure. According to the official, the Geneva talks began from an assumption that aligns with Moscow’s position.
The latest U.S. peace proposal – a 28-point plan – has raised fresh concerns among Ukrainian and European officials that Washington may be pushing Kyiv toward concessions that disproportionately benefit the Kremlin. Officials on both sides say the plan is accompanied by a separate document outlining potential security guarantees for Ukraine.
U.S. administration representatives maintain that most elements of the peace plan have already been agreed, with only “a few outstanding differences” remaining.
As The Gaze previously reported, Ukraine and the United States have developed a new draft peace agreement with Russia consisting of 19 points, leaving the most sensitive issues for the consideration of Presidents Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Read more on The Gaze: What Could Security Guarantees for Ukraine Look Like?