STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Some other news now. Russian, American and Ukrainian negotiators are meeting today in Abu Dhabi. They are resuming peace talks over the war in Ukraine - talks that have not happened since February. The U.S. negotiators are presidential envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner. President Trump says he believes peace is achievable this time. NPR's Eleanor Beardsley is covering this from Ukraine's capital, Kyiv. Hey there, Eleanor.
ELEANOR BEARDSLEY, BYLINE: Hi, Steve.
INSKEEP: Other than thousands of additional dead, has anything changed since the last talks nine months ago?
BEARDSLEY: Well, in many ways, nothing has changed. And on the other hand, perhaps a lot is changing. Let me explain. The war still grinds on in eastern Ukraine, where the front line is essentially frozen, though Ukraine did erase minimal Russian gains this year in a fall offensive. We're heading into another winter of Russia targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure in cities like Kyiv. Putin has not wavered from his maximalist demands. He wants Ukraine to give over the remaining between 20% and 30% of the Donbas region that Russian forces have been unable to conquer. Ukraine still says that's a red line because this fortress belt of cities protects the rest of the country. So that's the same.
INSKEEP: OK.
BEARDSLEY: And yet, Steve, in the past days, much has changed. Trump and his policies were repudiated in the midterm elections. And while Ukrainians understand this was not about them, they still hope things can change when a new Congress comes in in January. And I spoke with Oleksandr Merezhko. He's chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Ukrainian Parliament. Here he is.
OLEKSANDR MEREZHKO: For us, it's a hopeful sign. And it sort of raised the level of optimism in Ukraine with regard to our relations with the United States because American people and the Congress has always been on the side of Ukraine. And now we hope that the number of supporters of Ukraine in the Congress will rise.
INSKEEP: OK. So a few things are changing. What is different for Russia?
BEARDSLEY: Well, for Russia, the midterms are not good news. Things are going very well with the Trump administration that recently waived sanctions on diesel, which allows Russia to finance this war. So analysts are saying Putin may try to squeeze as much as he can out of the Trump administration before the new Congress comes in.
INSKEEP: OK. At least in foreign affairs, the president still has a lot of latitude. So let's talk about the way the president has discussed this. He says these negotiations could include some larger arrangement for European security, but what makes him think this round could be more successful than in the past?
BEARDSLEY: Well, it's not entirely clear. But U.S. officials speaking on background said they want to create a new long-term security framework that would not just be about Russia and Ukraine but include all of Europe. And the administration says it believes this could possibly unlock concessions from both Kyiv and Moscow.
INSKEEP: OK. So you widen the playing field. You increase the number of players, but Europeans are not part of these negotiations. Is that right?
BEARDSLEY: Yes, Steve. That's right. There are representatives from the U.K., Germany, France and Italy in Abu Dhabi, but they're not taking part directly. That's frightening for Europe. Any changes they want to be preceded by a ceasefire - any talks. Kremlin watchers say this situation for Putin is a dream - to sit down with Trump one-on-one while Europe is sidelined. And there's also a new negotiator on the Russian team. He's the top Kremlin official who - right before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he gave the ultimatum to NATO to roll back to its 1997 borders. Steve, that was before Poland and the Baltics joined. I asked Ukrainian lawmaker Inna Sovsun if anything different could come out of these talks. Here she is.
INNA SOVSUN: We see no reason for Putin to suddenly agree to some sort of peace deal. There is no pressure being put on him.
BEARDSLEY: Now, she believes Putin thinks he's winning, especially in Ukrainian cities, where she said she expects Russia to fully use this fifth winter of the war to plunge Ukrainians into the cold and dark in an effort to crush their will.
INSKEEP: Fifth winter of the war. Thank you. Eleanor, thanks so much.
BEARDSLEY: You're welcome, Steve.
INSKEEP: That's NPR's Eleanor Beardsley in Kyiv.
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