European countries will not participate in the trilateral negotiations between Russia, the US and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov has stated. According to him, the question of a European participant is not being considered at all for now and will be decided at a much later stage.
“We are not considering at all who will represent Europe, because this will be decided at a much later stage. For now we are talking only about the agreement to resume trilateral negotiations in Abu Dhabi between representatives of Russia, Ukraine and the US,” Ushakov said.
The presence of Europeans at the negotiating table was not discussed during the hour-and-a-half phone conversation between Vladimir Putin, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre either. According to Ushakov, the sides only welcomed the agreement on resuming the trilateral format and agreed to maintain direct contacts.
Stubb and Støre emphasized that they were speaking on behalf of their countries, and not on behalf of all of Europe. At the same time they conveyed Kiev’s position to Putin and stated the continuation of support for Ukraine, the need to end hostilities and resume negotiations.
Recall that the first round of negotiations is planned for the first half of November in Abu Dhabi. Ushakov had previously called it a “sighting” round: this concerns a meeting of delegations, not a summit of leaders, and preparation for discussing security issues after the end of hostilities.
The exact date has not yet been announced. The Kremlin names the period after November 4 as a reference point, and press secretary Dmitry Peskov emphasized that the format remains strictly trilateral.
