Adnkronos (Adnkronos) – "Bringing both sides back to the negotiating table has not been easy, but we believe they are coming with good intentions. And although there remains a certain skepticism on both sides regarding the other's intentions, as mediators we see promising signs; we will therefore continue to work to broaden the basis for a common understanding, so that we can reach a conclusion."
A senior administration official explained this to reporters ahead of the U.S.-mediated peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, which resume today in Abu Dhabi. The White House discussed expectations for this trilateral meeting by telephone with media outlets, including Adnkronos. These expectations, on the eve of the meeting, appear decidedly positive, while discussions between Washington, Kiev, and Moscow are now ongoing and regular.
If there is progress, the US mediators intend to convince the Russians to accept a multilateral format to try, step by step, to end the war. "We managed to organize a call involving the Finns, Norwegians, and Russians: it's a good step forward. However, much more discussion at the European level with Russia is needed so that the Russians can hear what we hear and, in turn, directly convey to Russia the messages we communicate to them," he emphasizes.
A meeting that will, in fact, also include European partners, as the White House believes their presence is necessary at the negotiating table.
The Italians will also be present. Today's first session will discuss ceasefire monitoring and post-war security. "The E3—Germany, France, and the United Kingdom—will therefore be present, joined by Italy, NATO, Ukraine, and the European Union," the official said.
"Our proposal is to involve Europeans in the discussion after this trilateral meeting, seeking to proceed along parallel tracks, so that the two paths can mutually contribute to resolving the issues at hand. We will therefore initiate structured discussions on territorial issues and other unresolved issues that have emerged as a result of the war," he explains.
The negotiations in the United Arab Emirates are the first formal ones in nine months. They will last two days and be facilitated by a US delegation led by US Special Envoy for Peace Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. According to the official, the two may travel to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin after the trilateral meeting, given the positive signals coming from Moscow. "These are positive signs of a willingness to reach a conclusion," the other official said.
"Tomorrow (today, ed.) we will examine the fears of both sides. We will see what the so-called 'red lines' declared by each side are, we will try to understand what we agree on and identify the differences. Ultimately, the goal should be to manage provocations—that is, reduce them—encourage de-escalation, and, of course, ensure effective communication through the right channels." The senior official noted that both sides are showing flexibility on their territorial demands, but these issues cannot be resolved until the post-war security architecture is clarified. In particular, security guarantees for Ukraine.
"Regarding the role of the United States, we'll see what President Trump decides. We've asked the Russians to offer Ukraine security guarantees similar to those provided for in Articles 4 and 5 of the NATO Treaty, with a similar commitment from NATO itself. Essentially, this would be a very similar condition to that offered by NATO. Naturally, further agreements will need to be finalized. President Trump's goal, should an agreement be reached, is for it to be lasting; he's in no rush to conclude a bad deal. His intention is to create an architecture that actually works," the senior official reiterated over the phone. To facilitate communication, the White House would like to revive the NATO-Russia Council, the diplomatic forum established in 2002 to enable cooperation and peer-to-peer consultation on security issues between NATO member states and Moscow. "Hopefully, it can be an integral part of this process. However, we want to find a way to make it a little more robust and revitalize it. It is indeed essential to have a tool for communication, de-escalation, and the resolution of any future conflicts," concluded the senior official, who emphasized that Russia currently sees Europe as the biggest obstacle to achieving peace. And the White House wants to change their minds. "They have a bad relationship with the Europeans; they think it was the Europeans who scuppered the Istanbul Agreement." (by Iacopo Luzi)
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