First day of Ukraine peace talks constructive, Zelensky says
Source: BBC World ↗ (cross-verified by 2 outlets — full list below)
Delegations from Kyiv, Washington and Moscow gathered in Abu Dhabi for the first trilateral peace talks since February, concluding a four‑hour session on the opening day. President Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking from Paris, described the discussions as “constructive and quite substantive,” while U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the meeting “very productive.” Although the senior officials from Kyiv and Moscow remained tight‑lipped, the talks touched on humanitarian matters such as prisoner‑of‑war exchanges and signaled a modest shift in positions, with U.S. officials noting that both sides had shown “a little bit of flexibility” regarding control of Ukraine’s eastern regions in a post‑war scenario.
The most significant point of contention remains the status of the Donetsk region, where Moscow demands that Ukraine cede the territories it still holds, while Kyiv insists on freezing the contact line to retain those areas for its security. U.S. officials emphasized that any resolution to the territorial dispute is inseparable from establishing a new “security architecture” after the war, proposing mechanisms such as security consultations, crisis hotlines, reciprocal de‑escalation measures, and the possible re‑activation of the NATO‑Russia Council. European leaders, previously excluded, have pressed for inclusion, arguing that decisions about continental security cannot be made without them; the United States appears to support this, though a U.S. official warned that Russia harbors “a bad taste in their mouth with the Europeans,” and Moscow continues to reject proposals like an unconditional ceasefire, which it views as a chance for Kyiv to regroup.
Beyond the immediate negotiations, the talks reflect broader geopolitical dynamics. Jared Kushner, speaking at the start of the session, claimed the United States had “narrowed the gaps” between the parties, while Trump’s peace envoy Steve Witkoff met with Ukrainian, European and NATO officials on the sidelines. Skepticism persists in Kyiv, with MP Oleksandr Merezhko warning that President Donald Trump’s push for a rapid settlement could come at Ukraine’s expense and that only heightened pressure on Russia through sanctions and strikes would compel Vladimir Putin to negotiate earnestly. The next day’s discussions are set to continue, but expectations for a breakthrough remain low as Moscow and Kyiv maintain divergent public stances.
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Source: IMF World Economic Outlook; each figure shows its year, and current-year values are IMF estimates. Policy rates and sovereign credit ratings are from the News Effects country dataset and show their own as-of date. Not investment advice.
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