MuhammadSalis 
Key Highlights:
- Urgent Summit Request: Ukraine is pushing for President Zelensky to meet Donald Trump in the US this month to sign a peace agreement.
- Secret Talks in Abu Dhabi: US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is currently holding undisclosed meetings with Russian representatives in the UAE.
- Peace Plan Dispute: While Kyiv backs new European amendments to the US peace plan, the Kremlin has rejected them as “unconstructive.”
Ukraine has officially called for a high-stakes meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump to take place in the United States as soon as possible.
Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine’s security council, stated on Tuesday that his team aims to organize the visit at the “earliest suitable date” in November. The primary objective is to complete the final steps of a negotiation process and secure a deal to end the war.
According to Umerov, Washington and Kyiv have already reached a “common understanding” regarding key terms discussed during previous diplomatic rounds in Geneva.
Shadow Diplomacy in Abu Dhabi
While public calls for a summit intensify, quiet negotiations are unfolding in the Middle East. US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has been confirmed to be in Abu Dhabi meeting with a Russian delegation. The identities of the Russian officials remain unknown.
A US official traveling with Driscoll reportedly briefed journalists that Ukraine had already agreed to the peace deal, leaving only minor details to be resolved. However, the Biden administration referred inquiries to recent comments by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Speaking in Geneva on Sunday, Rubio cautioned that higher-level discussions were still required to finalize any agreement. CCNBNews notes that the White House has yet to officially comment on the logistics of a potential Trump-Zelensky meeting.
Friction Over the “28-Point Plan”
Significant gaps remain between Moscow and Kyiv regarding the specifics of the armistice. Leaders in Kyiv and across Europe previously criticized an initial 28-point US peace plan as being overly favorable to Russia.
In response, counter-proposals reportedly drafted by the UK, France, and Germany have reshaped the framework. These amendments exclude recognition of Russian-held territories, increase Ukraine’s permitted military size, and leave a pathway open for NATO membership.
President Zelensky welcomed these changes on Monday. “Now the list of necessary steps to end the war can become doable,” Zelensky said, citing that “many correct elements” had been incorporated.
Kremlin Rejects New Terms
The reaction from Moscow has been dismissive. A Kremlin official labeled the European amendments “completely unconstructive.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who is not present at the Abu Dhabi talks, stated that Moscow has not yet received the revised “interim” version of the plan. He insisted that any agreement must reflect the “spirit and letter” of the talks held between Trump and Putin in Alaska last August.
Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced a virtual meeting of a “coalition of the willing” on Tuesday. European allies are convening to discuss the rapidly shifting diplomatic landscape following a “productive” conversation between Starmer and Zelensky.
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