US expects progress at Abu Dhabi talks but no peace deal, media reports
Photo: US special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff (Getty Images)
US officials have outlined an optimistic outlook for trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi. However, they do not expect an agreement to be reached during the meetings on November 10-11, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty correspondent Alex Raufoglu.
Optimism about the talks
According to Raufoglu, US officials shared Washington's expectations for the negotiations, the key sticking points and what comes next with journalists.
US officials say there is a "real shot" of making "serious progress" toward ending the war during tomorrow's talks in Abu Dhabi, Raufoglu reported.
What US officials are saying
The journalist outlined several key statements made by US officials:
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Russia is accusing Europeans of derailing the previous agreement reached in Istanbul.
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The US is working to reassure Moscow that Washington is aligned with Europe and NATO. It wants to move beyond trilateral talks toward a broader multilateral format involving Europe.
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Germany, France, the UK and Italy, together with NATO, the EU and Ukraine, are expected to join discussions on security guarantees and Europe's post-war security architecture.
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Security guarantees will be at the center of the discussions. Officials said Washington has asked Russia to accept an agreement granting Ukraine protection similar to that provided under Articles 4 and 5 of NATO's founding treaty.
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Any US commitments will ultimately depend on Trump, one official said, while stressing that Europe must bear the financial burden.
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The territorial issue remains unresolved. Russia continues to demand the entire Donetsk region, while Ukraine supports maintaining the current line of contact.
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Russia and Ukraine have shown some "private flexibility." However, both sides have insisted that territorial issues and post-war security arrangements must be discussed in parallel and ultimately resolved together.
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No agreement is expected in Abu Dhabi. The goal of the meeting is to clarify positions, identify remaining gaps and lay the groundwork for further negotiations.
US officials said Washington was "cautiously optimistic" and suggested that further meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy could take place in the near future, depending on progress.
Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported that Ukraine does not expect a breakthrough during the first round of talks with the US and Russia. However, it has some expectations for the second round, Davyd Arakhamia, head of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction, said.
In addition, talks between Ukraine and Russia, mediated by the US, are expected to resume on November 10 in Abu Dhabi, but a ceasefire will not be on the agenda.
Trump's special envoy Jared Kushner also said that ahead of the peace talks in Abu Dhabi, the US is bringing together NATO partners, as well as representatives of the EU and Ukraine, for a separate meeting. They are expected to discuss the post-war security architecture.
