In a recent development that has caught the attention of the global community, U.
S. Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll is reportedly in talks with Russian officials in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The discussions are centered around a U.S.-proposed resolution to the ongoing Ukraine invasion, according to multiple reports in the American mainstream media, which have been reiterated by Ukrainian state news.
As reported by Breitbart, the dialogue between American and Russian officials is aimed at refining a 28-point peace plan initially proposed by Washington last week. The Ukrainian state media outlet Ukrinform, while not independently verifying the report, has shared it, citing American news outlets, thereby suggesting its credibility.
An anonymous U.S. official reportedly told CBS News, "Secretary Driscoll met with members of the Russian delegation [Monday night] for several hours in Abu Dhabi. He is scheduled to meet with them again throughout the day [Tuesday] to discuss the peace process and rapidly move the peace negotiations forward."
The White House, however, has yet to confirm these reports. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, when questioned about the alleged talks with American officials, did not provide any definitive information. He confirmed that the Russian government had received the latest version of the Ukraine peace deal, but stated that it was obtained "through unofficial channels," rather than directly from America or Ukraine.
"Our American colleagues have not yet provided us with the version the media are speculating about," Lavrov claimed, according to the Russian news agency Tass. He also did not confirm whether the reports on the alleged Abu Dhabi talks were accurate, but did mention, "we have permanent channels of communication with the Americans."
"This is something that [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin brought up when he assessed [U.S. leader] Donald Trumps peace plan. We are not hiding this," he said, referring to the private communications.
The Russian government-aligned news agency Tass did report on the Abu Dhabi talks, but did not independently confirm the reports that the talks are ongoing.
Lavrov also suggested that Moscow was satisfied with the pace of the ongoing talks. He described the current state of the peace agreement, which is reportedly being continuously edited as negotiations continue, as positive in the eyes of the Russian government.
"Our assessments remain in effect in that the key provisions of Trumps plan are based on the understandings reached in Anchorage during the high-level Russia-US meeting in August," Lavrov said. "We welcome the fact that these principles are enshrined in the plan."
The reported talks with Russia follow official conversations between the Trump administration and that of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Secretary of State Marco Rubio traveled to Geneva, Switzerland, this weekend to discuss the plan with Ukrainian officials, leaving the engagement declaring that they were "the most productive and meaningful so far" towards ending Russias invasion of Ukraine.
"The Ukrainians have agreed to the peace deal," an anonymous purported U.S. official told ABC News on Tuesday. "There are some minor details to be sorted out but they have agreed to a peace deal."
Russia first invaded Ukraine in 2014, annexing its Crimean peninsula during the tenure of former President Barack Obama. In 2022, during the term of Obamas former vice president Joe Biden, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of the country. Russian strongman Vladimir Putin announced in September 2022 the "annexation" of four Ukrainian regions: Luhansk and Donetsk (the Donbass regions), Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia.
The proposed peace deal, which has not been officially published by either the White House or the parties to the conflicts, reportedly requires Ukraine to accept Russia keeping Crimea and the Donbass region, in exchange for enhanced security guarantees and promises from the Putin regime that it will not continue to invade other parts of Ukraine or its other neighbors.
Prior to the talks this weekend, Zelensky released a video in which he appeared to indicate that Ukraine was open, though reluctantly, to accepting the peace deal.
"Now is one of the most difficult moments in our history," Zelensky declared. "Ukraine may find itself facing a very difficult choice: either the loss of dignity, or the risk of losing a key partner. Either the difficult 28 points, or an extremely difficult winter the hardest one and further risks."
The 28-point plan, according to Ukrinform, has since been reduced to 19 points. Given the fluid nature of the talks, it is unclear which points remain in the proposed agreement.
"We will absolutely not give the enemy any reason to say that Ukraine does not want peace," Zelensky asserted last week, "that Ukraine is disrupting the process or that Ukraine is not ready for diplomacy. That will not happen."
As the world watches these developments with bated breath, the hope for a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine crisis remains alive. The ongoing negotiations between the U.S. and Russia, if successful, could mark a significant step towards ending a conflict that has had far-reaching implications for global politics and security.
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