US-Mediated Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks Begin in Abu Dhabi
News originally published by
MENAFNThe talks officially started at 0800 GMT, according to announcements carried by Russian state media.
Russian presidential envoy Vladimir Medinsky is heading Moscow's delegation, while Ukraine's team is led by Rustem Umerov, head of the country's Foreign Intelligence Service.
The latest discussions mark the first trilateral negotiations since the Geneva meetings held on Feb. 17-18. Those talks followed earlier rounds hosted in Abu Dhabi on Jan. 23-24 and Feb. 4-5.
Speaking in a video address late Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country's representatives would put forward measures aimed at reducing tensions.
“At the meetings in Abu Dhabi, our team will propose de-escalatory steps,” he said.
Zelenskyy also stressed the importance of reaching a peace agreement, securing guarantees for Ukraine's future security and obtaining the resources needed to support the country's recovery after the war.
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the negotiations would address security guarantees. He also stated that European representatives would not take part in the trilateral format, which had initially been agreed upon by Russia, Ukraine and the United States.
"What will take place in Abu Dhabi in the coming days is trilateral negotiations between Russia and Ukraine with US mediation. As for the presence of Europeans, you know that the Americans have their own channels of communication with Europeans, and Ukrainians with Europeans," he told reporters during a Monday press briefing.
However, Umerov said the European Commission and NATO, alongside representatives from the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Germany, would send officials to Abu Dhabi.
In a separate announcement on Telegram, Umerov confirmed that he had held preliminary discussions with European representatives and US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner before the trilateral negotiations began.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
