Russia, Ukraine and the United States resumed trilateral negotiations this Tuesday in Abu Dhabi, in which security guarantees in Europe are expected to occupy a central place in the meeting, along with de-escalation, humanitarian measures and the prospects for a broader agreement. The meeting - the first since February - began with low expectations on the part of kyiv and the European partners, who hope to have a greater role in the negotiations to discuss the regional security architecture once this conflict that has lasted four and a half years ends.
The US delegation is led by special envoy Steve Witkoff, along with Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law and real estate developer who also acts as an emissary. Moscow has once again trusted Vladimir Medinski, collaborator of the president, Vladimir Putin, as chief negotiator, accompanied by senior military and intelligence officials. On the Ukrainian side, Rustem Umerov, head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, heads a delegation that includes deputy Davyd Arakhamia and diplomats and military personnel. The format will continue to be trilateral, but a greater European presence is expected than on previous occasions, although it is not clear what role it will have.
According to a source in the Russian delegation cited by Reuters, the Kremlin wants to focus the conversation on the basic elements of a new security framework for post-war Europe, of which the solution in Ukraine would be only a part. Moscow proposes permanent consultations on security, direct lines of communication for crisis situations, reciprocal de-escalation measures and the reactivation of the NATO-Russia Council, practically paralyzed since 2022. Washington previously confirmed that this issue will be central to the meeting in the United Arab Emirates. Trump spoke last week of a "great and beautiful agreement," after speaking with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev, which, he assured, "could involve all of Europe." Kushner later specified on social media that it would include permanent consultations, reliable communications in times of crisis, greater military transparency and a lasting framework of European stability.
Representatives from France, the United Kingdom, Germany - known as the E3 team -, Italy, the EU and NATO are also present in Abu Dhabi; among them Günter Sautter, advisor to Chancellor Friedrich Merz; Emmanuel Bonne, head of diplomacy at the Elysée; Jonathan Powell, British national security advisor; Fabrizio Saggio, advisor to Giorgia Meloni; and the chiefs of staff of Ursula von der Leyen and Mark Rutte, Björn Seibert and Geoffrey van Leeuwen. Russia has not confirmed that it will meet with them, although greater European participation is expected than in previous meetings. Kushner has said that he and Witkoff will meet separately with the Europeans to continue coordinating, and the French Foreign Minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, assured on Sunday that the Europeans "will be well represented" and that no discussion about the future of the continent "can overlook our expectations and demands." A US official acknowledged that Washington "will need Europe at the table" to end the war. Putin, for his part, received calls on October 27 from the Finnish president, Alexander Stubb, and the Norwegian prime minister, Jonas Gahr Store, about Ukraine, security in the Baltic and northern Europe.
Despite everything, Ukraine arrives much more skeptical than its Russian and American interlocutors. President VolodImir Zelensky has set as priorities security guarantees, an energy ceasefire, the unblocking of the Black Sea, more prisoner exchanges and preparations for a summit between the leaders of the three countries. John Herbst, of the Atlantic Council and former US ambassador to kyiv, said in an analysis that expectations are "very modest" and maintains that Putin has agreed to the appointment primarily to give Trump a pretext to continue distancing himself from Ukraine.
