After the U.S.-brokered tripartite talks with Ukraine and Russia came to an end, U.S. special envoys Kushner and Wykov arrived in Russia on the 12th to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Sources pointed out that the United States asked Russia during the talks to propose a new draft security agreement for future security with Europe, outlining the measures Russia is prepared to take to reduce tensions with Europe.
Putin said during a meeting with U.S. envoys in the Kremlin that Russia would not give in to its tough demands and territorial claims to end the Russo-Ukrainian war, a statement that cast a shadow over the prospects for peace. Kushner and Weikov then traveled to Dublin, Ireland, to explain to Ukrainian President Zelensky, who was meeting with European leaders there. Both the United States and Ukraine revealed that there is now an opportunity to move towards ending the war. Kushner said, "We see some possibilities and opportunities." Zelensky said in Ireland that there may be "a chance" to end the war with Russia before 2027.
The US news website Axios quoted two sources as saying that reaching an agreement on a new security architecture between Europe and Russia is a major topic in the Abu Dhabi talks. Russian negotiators said that Putin invaded Ukraine because then US President Biden did not respond to the security concerns raised in his 2021 letter; Kushner and Weikov told the Russian side that the world has changed a lot after 2021, and they proposed that Russia draft a new European Union The European Security Architecture Agreement not only raised Russia's security concerns, but also outlined the "reciprocal measures" Moscow is willing to take to reduce the situation and reassure Europe. In addition, the two men also told Russia that European security issues need to allow European representatives to participate in future end-of-war peace talks.
For years Russia has sought a European security agreement that would limit the expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and reduce military deployments in Eastern Europe. The United States has resisted these demands in the past but is now apparently open to including them in a deal to end the Russo-Ukrainian war. Many European governments are deeply suspicious of this approach by the United States. European Commission President von der Leyen said before the talks in Abu Dhabi that Europe will discuss a new security architecture only after the war is over.
Ukraine and Russia agreed at talks in Abu Dhabi to carry out what may be the largest prisoner exchange since the war began, but the specific number will have to be decided after the US special envoy meets with the leaders of the two countries. Zelensky revealed that the number of people may be 1,000 or 1,200.
This meeting was the first direct dialogue between Ukrainian and Russian officials in nine months. A source present said that the atmosphere of the meeting was tense and sometimes emotional, with both Ukraine and Russia expressing dissatisfaction; Kushner and Weikov tried to cool down the situation and made it clear that the goal of the talks was to reach an option that could provide the leaders of the two countries, and the negotiations began to become more constructive.
Russia has so far been unwilling to involve Europe in peace talks. Chief negotiator Medinski said bluntly, "I don't know what can be discussed with them." Moscow's goal is to hold a "new version of the Yalta Conference," referring to the 1945 meeting between Western leaders and the Soviet Union to carve up Europe. Russia is willing to reach a comprehensive security agreement with Europe as part of the end-of-war agreement.
