Politico: This Week It Will Become Clear Whether Putin Is Ready For Peace
- 4.02.2026, 10:39
There are signs that new talks in Abu Dhabi could be promising.
Another round of negotiations to end the war in Ukraine begins today in Abu Dhabi. And while the overall outlook for Ukraine remains no less bleak, there are signs, according to Politico, that the outcome of this week's talks may finally answer a key question: whether Russian leader Vladimir Putin is serious about making peace.
The publication notes that according to some Ukrainian and American sources familiar with the talks, there are signs that the current negotiations may be more promising than is commonly believed.
He also expressed cautious hopes that "there is a reasonable chance of ending this conflict in the spring."
A former senior Ukrainian official was less optimistic in comments to the publication, but even he agreed that there had been a change in mood and tone on Russia's part at the negotiating table.
Describing the head of the Russian delegation, Chief of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Igor Kostyukov, and military intelligence officer Alexander Zorin as practical people, he said neither was inclined to give long lectures on the "root causes" of the conflict - unlike Lavrov and Putin. "Russian intelligence worked professionally, going into practical details," he said.
The official suggests the change may be due to the Kremlin's perception that Europe is getting more serious about continent-wide defense, ramping up weapons production and trying to become less dependent on the United States for overall security:
"A peace agreement, the end of the war could significantly weaken this momentum - it will be much harder for European leaders to convince their voters of the need for the sacrifices that will be made by the "Accepting a peace settlement now in which he cannot claim a clear 'victory' for Russia and the Russian people will be a big problem domestically," retired Australian General Mick Ryan said."