Trilateral talks involving the United States begin on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi, marking the first substantive negotiations between Russia and Ukraine since February. US officials state that they are pursuing the goal of a "definitive end" to the war. The outcome of the talks was still open at the time of reporting.
According to reports, a US proposal includes a long-term security architecture between Moscow and Europe. This would move the negotiations beyond an immediate ceasefire and aim at a lasting order of security relations on the European continent. Specific details regarding content, concessions or timelines are not available in the information presently at hand.
The timing of the talks falls within a broader foreign policy context. They follow joint US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran. At the same time, President Donald Trump is described as weakened at home after the midterm elections did not go as his party had hoped. Whether and how this domestic situation affects Washington's negotiating position remains open.
The Abu Dhabi talks are the first of their kind in several months, and their result is not yet foreseeable. Observers will pay particular attention to whether the deliberations produce concrete steps toward a peace process or whether the talks merely restore contact between the parties.