Deep-seated disagreements over territory, security guarantees, and battlefield realities continue to block any direct meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Recent US-mediated trilateral talks at the negotiator level in Abu Dhabi produced limited progress on prisoner swaps and de-escalation measures but exposed sharp differences on core issues, with Zelenskyy noting divergent assessments of the front lines. These technical discussions remain far from the leadership-level engagement Zelenskyy has conditioned on prior security commitments. The resulting trader consensus that no bilateral summit will occur before 2027 reflects the slow pace of diplomacy and entrenched positions. A breakthrough could still emerge if ongoing US efforts produce concrete concessions or battlefield shifts compel both sides to the table.