On the eve of the trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and the US kicking off in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, November 10, Donald Trump said that the three parties could be on the verge of a breakthrough.
Tuesday would mark the resumption of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine after a nine-month hiatus. US officials in Abu Dhabi for the talks told Reuters that all parties are coming to the meeting with some flexibility on territorial issues privately. On Monday, Trump told the outlet that “something could happen”, suggesting that a breakthrough in the region is a “possibility.”
Trump again spoke about the Abu Dhabi talks as he met the White House press pool following a meeting with Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed. He said the US has had a “very good conversation with Russia and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi” adding that he is seeing a “very strong inclination” for the conflict to end.
Talks to involve more stakeholders
Given that talks are focused on territorial settlement, the discussions will also involve stakeholders other than the US, Ukraine and Russia. US officials confirmed to the Associated Press that Trump aides Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff will meet with representatives of Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Italy, NATO and the European Union over the course of the talks.
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The US official in Abu Dhabi who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity said that the territorial issues are not going to settle unless a picture of the post-war security architecture in the region becomes clearer. AP reports that representatives from other European nations and coalitions will be part of the talks focusing on potential security guarantees and long-term security in the region.
Rubio cautions against too much optimism: ‘It’s been difficult’
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, however, cautioned against too much optimism despite Trump’s indication of a potential breakthrough in the Abu Dhabi talks. Rubio pointed at the historic difficulties in making progress on a deal between Russia and Ukraine since the war started in 2022.
“It’s been difficult to get anything productive out of that,” Rubio told reporters Monday in France after the first day of the G7 Foreign Ministers’ meeting. “But we’ll keep trying. And that’s what we’ve been trying to do the whole time, is try to be creative and find ways that we can help bring that conflict in that war to an end.”
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Ukraine to focus on prisoner exchange and humanitarian issues
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Kyrylo Budanov, said that Ukraine will likely focus on prisoner exchange with Russia and humanitarian issues at the trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi. Budanov said that it is important that the diplomatic process “keeps going.”
“It is important that the diplomatic process keep going,” Budanov wrote on Telegram while on his way to the meeting opening on Tuesday. “We plan to devote a lot of attention to the humanitarian track. We need to step up prisoner exchanges.”
With inputs from agencies.
