Politics1 min read

US officials seek ‘final end’ to Russia-Ukraine war as Abu Dhabi talks begin

By · Via The Guardian · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The diplomatic summit in Abu Dhabi marks the first substantive direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine since February, running alongside consultations with major European partners. Under the leadership of lead negotiator Jared Kushner, the White House has proposed a new security architecture that could revive the suspended NATO-Russia Council, lift sanctions, and provide Article 5-style security guarantees. However, European leaders worry Washington might bypass them to strike a direct agreement with Vladimir Putin that reduces NATO's eastern military footprint. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas opposed restructuring security pacts, arguing Moscow has simply refused to…

Key points

  • European allies are concerned that the United States might bypass them to grant major ter…: European allies are concerned that the United States might bypass them to grant major territorial and strategic concessions to Russia.
  • President Trump has signaled that Ukraine will likely be forced to concede sovereign terr…: President Trump has signaled that Ukraine will likely be forced to concede sovereign territory to secure a peace deal.
  • The European Union maintains that existing regional security and sovereignty frameworks a…: The European Union maintains that existing regional security and sovereignty frameworks are sufficient if Russia chooses to respect them.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

US officials said they would seek a “final end” to the war between Russia and Ukraine, beginning with trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday in the first substantive negotiations between the two countries since February.

The talks are also the first since the US launched joint strikes with Israel against Iran, and they follow bruising midterm elections that have weakened Donald Trump at home.

Part of the Trump administration’s proposal involves drawing a new “long-term security architecture” between Russia and Europe, administration officials have said.

European officials are concerned that Russia may stick to its hardline demands that Nato should roll back its military footprint across eastern Europe, which would threaten to leave allies vulnerable to Moscow’s influence at a time of historic tensions with the west.

Since his first decade in power, Vladimir Putin has complained about Nato’s eastward expansion and sought to renegotiate the balance of power between Nato and Russia – but never before have those demands been embraced by a sitting US administration, which has made it clear that it is desperate to get to…

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