The talks starting in Abu Dhabi offer a chance to end the war in Ukraine as early as spring, Politico reports

The talks in Abu Dhabi that begin today could be more promising than many expect — and could offer a chance to end the war in the spring.

That’s what Politico reports, citing Ukrainian and American sources familiar with the course of the negotiations.

They say both sides have become more “constructive.”

“Before, these talks were like pulling teeth without anesthesia. I used to want to scream every time I saw yet another report saying the discussions were ‘constructive.’ But now I think they are constructive in a way. I can see the Russians are taking these talks more seriously,” a Republican foreign-policy expert who has advised Kyiv told the newspaper.

He said this is primarily linked to the addition of Davyd Arakhamia, leader of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction, to Ukraine’s negotiating team.

“I’ve noticed that since Davyd got involved, there’s been a noticeable improvement with the Russian negotiators. I think it’s because they respect them (the Ukrainian delegation’s representatives — Ed.) — especially Davyd — and because they see them as people who live in reality and are ready to compromise,” the expert explained.

“I’m cautiously optimistic that we have a reasonable chance of ending this conflict in the spring,” the American source added.

A former Ukrainian official also agreed that the mood has shifted, as has Russia’s tone at the negotiating table.

Describing the head of the Russian delegation — GRU chief Kostyukov — and his subordinate Zorin as practical people, he noted that neither of them tends to deliver long lectures about the “root causes” of the conflict.

“Russian intelligence officers behave professionally, digging into practical details,” the former official said — someone whom, according to Politico, Zelenskyy’s office still consults.

In his view, Russia’s greater willingness to move toward a peace deal is partly explained by an attempt to slow Europe’s militarization.

“A peace agreement — the end of the war — could significantly weaken that momentum. It would be much harder for European leaders to convince their voters to make the sacrifices needed to shift to higher defense spending,” the Ukrainian official said.

As a reminder, on the eve of the talks in the UAE, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that “the war must be brought to an end.”