MOSCOW – The Kremlin has stated that a new US-drafted peace plan for Ukraine requires “truly serious analysis” and was not a topic of discussion during an unexpected meeting between Russian and US officials in Abu Dhabi this week, casting a shadow on the prospects for near-term diplomatic negotiations.
The comments from Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov, made in an interview with Russian state television on Wednesday, highlight the profound distrust and procedural hurdles that continue to obstruct peace efforts. While confirming that the document has been received by Moscow, Ushakov emphasized that no substantive talks have taken place.
Unexpected Encounter in the Gulf
The diplomatic activity centers on a meeting in the United Arab Emirates, a neutral party that has previously facilitated prisoner swaps. Ushakov confirmed that representatives from Russian intelligence agencies were in Abu Dhabi for talks with their Ukrainian counterparts, focusing on “very sensitive issues” such as prisoner exchanges.
However, the meeting took an unexpected turn when the Russian delegation also held talks with US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll. A US official, speaking to Reuters on Tuesday on condition of anonymity, had confirmed the trilateral engagement.
Ushakov sought to clarify the nature of this contact, describing the meeting with the US official as unplanned. “The peace plan was not discussed in Abu Dhabi,” Ushakov told reporter Pavel Zarubin, directly addressing speculation about the talks. “The peace plan has not yet been discussed in detail with anyone.”
He revealed that the US proposals have been formally transmitted to Moscow. “We saw it, it was passed on to us, but there haven’t been any discussions yet,” he said, indicating the document is in a preliminary review phase.
A Cautious and Critical Russian Stance
While stopping short of an outright rejection, Ushakov’s remarks suggest a highly cautious and critical Russian stance. He stated that the proposals necessitate “truly serious analysis, serious discussion” among experts.
“Some aspects can be viewed positively,” Ushakov conceded, without specifying what those might be, “but many require specialized discussion among experts.” This formulation is a common diplomatic signal that Moscow finds significant portions of the plan unacceptable in its current form.
The Shadow of Previous Proposals
The “latest US peace plan” referenced by Ushakov is believed to build upon the 10-point formula first outlined by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. That plan includes non-negotiable demands such as the full restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, including Crimea, and the complete withdrawal of Russian troops.
For Moscow, any peace agreement would likely require the recognition of its sovereignty over the four Ukrainian regions it claims to have annexed in 2022, as well as guarantees that Ukraine will never join NATO—conditions Kyiv has repeatedly rejected.
The fact that the US is now actively drafting a plan based on these principles represents a significant diplomatic effort to bridge what have been seen as irreconcilable differences. However, the Kremlin’s latest response indicates that the gulf between the two sides remains as wide as ever.
The Abu Dhabi meeting, while failing to produce a breakthrough on the broader peace process, appears to have served its primary purpose of maintaining a channel for pragmatic issues like prisoner swaps. Yet, the Kremlin’s insistence that the core peace plan was not even discussed underscores the long and difficult path ahead for any substantive negotiations to end the war.