By Our Correspondent
The United States, Russia and Ukraine have begun trilateral negotiations in Abu Dhabi as President Donald Trump intensifies efforts to secure a lasting end to the war between Moscow and Kyiv.
The talks, which commenced on Tuesday, represent the first substantive negotiations between Russia and Ukraine since February and come amid heightened international tensions following joint military strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran.
The negotiations also take place against the backdrop of disappointing midterm election results that have weakened Trump’s political standing at home.
A central element of the Trump administration’s proposal is the creation of a new long-term security framework between Russia and Europe to prevent future conflicts and address longstanding disagreements over military arrangements across the region.
However, European officials have expressed concerns that Moscow could use the negotiations to renew its demand for the withdrawal of NATO’s military presence from parts of Eastern Europe.
They fear that such concessions could increase Russian influence in the region, weaken existing security arrangements and expose European countries to greater security risks.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly criticised NATO’s eastward expansion, insisting that the security balance between Moscow and the Western military alliance must be renegotiated.
European officials are particularly concerned that some of Russia’s demands could receive consideration from the Trump administration, which has made ending the war a major foreign policy priority.
A US administration official, speaking ahead of the negotiations, said European countries would have to be involved in any agreement capable of delivering lasting peace.
The official disclosed that discussions could include the revival of the NATO-Russia Council, which was suspended following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The possibility of easing or lifting some sanctions imposed on Russia as part of a comprehensive peace agreement is also under consideration.
Washington has equally discussed potential security guarantees for Ukraine modelled on NATO’s Article 5, which provides for collective defence among member states when one of them comes under attack.
Russia, however, has consistently opposed Ukraine’s membership of NATO and the deployment of Western military forces on Ukrainian soil.
A US official described the proposed guarantees as comparable to NATO’s protection framework but acknowledged that implementing such an arrangement would require substantial financial resources, military support and other commitments.
The official added that the final decision would rest with Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The proposal has, however, raised questions about how the guarantees would work in practice, particularly the circumstances under which participating countries would be expected to respond militarily to an attack.
Critics have also noted that NATO’s Article 5 does not automatically compel every member to undertake military action, while the growing threat of cyberattacks and other forms of hybrid warfare has made defining acts of aggression increasingly complicated.
Meanwhile, Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and one of the United States’ lead negotiators, outlined Washington’s proposed approach to European security.
Kushner said the US was seeking stronger consultations, dependable crisis communication channels, greater military transparency and reciprocal measures to reduce the risk of escalation.
European delegations from Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy and the European Union are expected to meet US negotiators in Abu Dhabi to discuss the proposed security arrangements.
However, a European security official from one of the participating countries said the details of Washington’s proposal remained unclear, noting that European representatives were preparing for the possibility of significant concessions to Russia.
The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, maintained that Europe already had an established security framework based on international agreements that guarantee national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Speaking at a G7 foreign ministers’ meeting on Monday, Kallas accused Russia of repeatedly violating agreements it had signed.
Trump has also suggested that Ukraine might have to surrender some territory as part of a final peace settlement, a development that could result in changes to the country’s internationally recognised borders.
Last week, after meeting Kremlin adviser Kirill Dmitriev, the US president expressed optimism about reaching what he described as a “big, beautiful agreement” that could extend beyond the immediate conflict to address wider European security concerns.
However, concerns persist that Trump and Putin could reach an understanding without adequately consulting European leaders, potentially resulting in concessions that undermine the continent’s security interests.
A US administration official acknowledged European reservations, particularly over Russia’s longstanding demands for changes to NATO’s military presence in Eastern Europe.
In 2021, Moscow presented NATO with a series of demands, including a halt to further expansion, particularly towards Ukraine, the withdrawal of military deployments to positions held before 1997 and restrictions on missile deployments.
NATO rejected the proposals, and Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine less than a month later.
The US official argued that the existing security arrangements had failed to prevent the prolonged conflict, stressing the need for a new framework capable of addressing the underlying disagreements and preventing future confrontations.
Although details of the proposed arrangement remain unclear, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday that progress had been made in defining the structure of a new European security architecture.
He, however, acknowledged that an end to the Russia-Ukraine war would be necessary before the broader security framework could be fully established.
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