Russia and Ukraine Will Hold Peace Talks After Over Eight Months But Significant Gaps Remain

The U.S., Russia and Ukraine will hold peace talks in Abu Dhabi next week, according to special envoy Steve Witkoff.

"Discussions will focus on post-war security arrangements, de-escalation, humanitarian efforts, and next steps toward peace," Witkoff said in a statement following the announcement.

Lower level U.S. officials will meet in Brussels with European counterparts this week to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine, as well as economic opportunities to support reconstruction and Europe's post-war security architecture.

"We look forward to building on the progress made in Kyiv, Oslo, and St. Petersburg toward a comprehensive, durable peace agreement that delivers lasting security for generations to come," Witkoff added.

However, significant gaps remain. Axios detailed that the only concession Russian President Vladimir Putin seems to have made is agreeing to resume talks, which were suspended in February as the war in Iran began.

Moreover, Moscow launched a massive strike against Ukrainian energy facilities in three different regions supplying power to the Ukrainian military. The Russian Defense Ministry said it hit four power plants and two electricity substations.

Ukraine has also been striking energy infrastructure. It resumed attacks on Friday after an almost two-week pause undertaken under pressure from President Donald Trump. Russia continued attacking Ukrainian energy infrastructure during that pause.

The Trump administration is also pushing to restore Russian natural gas sales to Europe through pipelines crossing Ukraine, a proposal intended to secure an energy ceasefire before winter that faces resistance from European governments, according to another report.

The initiative would use an American intermediary to sell Russian gas, potentially creating business opportunities for U.S. investors while providing Moscow with an incentive to halt attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, according to officials and people familiar with discussions cited by The Wall Street Journal.

Jared Kushner and Witkoff raised the idea during September visits to Moscow and Kyiv. Ukraine would benefit from fees paid to transport the gas across its territory.

The proposal would challenge Europe's effort to eliminate Russian energy dependence following Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Under European Union legislation described in the report, purchases of Russian natural gas must end by the close of 2027.

Washington has proposed placing Russian gas revenue in an escrow account in a third country to prevent the Kremlin from using the proceeds to finance its war, a senior U.S. official told the Journal. However, the report does not establish that an American intermediary would satisfy European restrictions or that European governments have accepted the arrangement.