Rubio: Ukraine and Russia to hold bilateral talks without US
Photo: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (Getty Images)
US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will not take part in the next round of talks on ending the war in Ukraine. The meeting will be held exclusively between Ukraine and Russia, stated US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the Senate.
"They (Russia and Ukraine - ed.) are going to follow up talks again this week. In that regard, bilateral. There might be a US presence, but it won't be Steve and Jared," he said.
Rubio also noted he’s in touch with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner "probably 10 times a day."
Abu Dhabi talks and security guarantees
The next round of negotiations on ending the war in Ukraine is scheduled for January 1 and will take place in Abu Dhabi.
Last weekend, the first trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States were held in the UAE and were positively assessed by the American side. Ukraine also described the initial trilateral negotiations in the Emirates as substantive.
At the same time, a source told RBC-Ukraine that the January 23–24 meeting was introductory in nature. In effect, the sides familiarized themselves with each other’s positions.
According to media reports, the administration of US President Donald Trump allegedly told Ukraine that the provision of security guarantees depends on Kyiv’s willingness to make territorial concessions. The White House has denied this, saying Ukraine is not being forced to make concessions.
In addition, Reuters, citing a source, reported that the United States believes Ukraine should first sign a peace agreement with Russia. Only after that, the report said, would Kyiv receive security guarantees.
Meanwhile, Rubio said that the talks in Abu Dhabi include discussions on security guarantees that would involve deploying British and French troops to Ukraine, along with support from the United States.
