And yet, Moscow and Kyiv emerged from the UAE talks stalled over three issues at the heart of the conflict: Russia’s demand for Ukrainian territory, the future of Ukraine’s security guarantees and whether fighting should stop before or after a deal is reached. Moscow proposes a framework it calls the “Anchorage formula,” in which Ukraine would have to cede all of Donbas, including areas that Russia has been unable to conquer. The Kremlin says that is what Putin and Trump agreed to when they met in Alaska last year. But for Kyiv, surrendering territory would be both illegal and massively unpopular. While Zelenskyy has said he is prepared to consider a scenario under which the area would be demilitarized and designated a “free economic zone” but would remain officially part of Ukraine, Moscow has made it clear that that is not enough.