Russia, US and Ukraine outline priorities ahead of peace talks
US envoy Jared Kushner will mediate the first Russia-Ukraine trilateral negotiations in Abu Dhabi this week, aiming to discuss new European security arrangements.
The talks in Abu Dhabi will be the first trilateral negotiations between Russia, the US, and Ukraine since February. Kushner and Witkoff will travel to the UAE to mediate the discussions on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The US is focusing on four key issues: ending hostilities, providing credible postwar security guarantees, developing an economic recovery plan for Ukraine, and addressing humanitarian concerns.
We are working hard to find a negotiated solution that can deliver lasting peace and create the conditions for a sovereign, secure, and prosperous Ukraine within a more stable European security environment.
Russian and Ukrainian priorities
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov welcomed the US decision to prioritize collective security. He said the Russian delegation would include Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov, who has extensive experience in arms control and negotiations involving NATO and the OSCE.
Ukraine’s Presidential Office head Kirill Budanov said negotiators would devote significant attention to the humanitarian track, including efforts to accelerate prisoner exchanges.
Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service head Rustem Umerov said the Ukrainian delegation would hold separate meetings in Abu Dhabi with representatives of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, the EU, and NATO.
We are doing everything possible to ensure Europe is part of the diplomatic process.
European role in negotiations
Ukraine’s European partners have scrambled in recent weeks to find ways to influence the US-mediated peace talks. The leaders of Finland and Norway broke with Europe’s policy of maintaining minimal contact with Moscow by speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone late last month.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the bloc would first like to see a sign of goodwill from Russia. Russia has accused the EU and UK of sabotaging previous peace efforts, including the 2022 Istanbul talks.
What matters is not what the Europeans want, but what added value they can actually bring to the table.
Next steps and local truce
The negotiators will meet following a rare weeklong local truce around the frontline town of Alyoshki in Russia’s Kherson Region, which allowed more than 750 civilians to be evacuated. The agreement was reached with the help of US First Lady Melania Trump.
Kushner expressed hope that the talks would pave the way for eventual direct engagement between Russia and European partners on broader security arrangements.
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