Russia-Ukraine talks turn to post-war security but end without breakthrough

Image source, Reuters Image caption Na quinta-feira, Steve Witkoff e Jared Kushner viajarão para Moscou e Dublin para realizar encontros com os presidentes da Rússia e da Ucrânia.

• Inside devastated front-line city that Russia wants Ukraine to give upPublished1 day ago.

Conversas trilaterais em Abu Dhabi entre Rússia, Ucrânia e EUA, com o objetivo de pôr fim à guerra na Ucrânia, concluíram após o segundo dia.

Although the American side said they saw "some openings", there was no hint of any breakthroughs to end the nearly five year-long war sparked by Russia's invasion.

Davyd Arakhamia from Ukraine's negotiating team said that this round of talks - the first since February - "was one of the hardest.

I believe the Russians came with very strict directives, so it was extremely difficult to soften the discussion," he said. But he added that he felt "good momentum" and urged for a second round of talks to be organised as soon as possible.

Both Moscow and Kyiv confirmed that a large-scale prisoner of war exchange was in the works and could be carried out soon.

After the talks it was announced that on Thursday US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner - President Donald Trump's son-in-law - would travel to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, and then to Dublin to speak to Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky.

Esta última rodada de negociações havia sido enquadrada como centrada na “security architecture” da Europa.

For Kyiv, this may include reassurances that allies will come to its aid if Ukraine comes under attack again, despite the country not being a Nato member.

For Moscow, it is likely to include a limit to the influence of Nato in eastern Europe - a central concern for the Kremlin since the alliance's eastward expansion.

Earlier this week Kushner said the US hoped to "create a new framework" of security between Ukraine, Russia and Europe that could "secure lasting peace", while Kremlin negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said the world needed a "new" and "fair" security system.

A Ucrânia e a Europa têm se preocupado há muito tempo com o compromisso da atual administração dos EUA com a segurança europeia e com a sua suavização em relação ao Kremlin.

Representatives of Britain, Nato and various EU countries were also in Abu Dhabi and met with US and Ukrainian negotiators, but the Kremlin - with whom the EU does not officially communicate - said its delegation had not had any contact with them.

Moscow has been dismissive of European involvement, although Europeans have long argued that they are central to any post-war dynamics on their continent.

Many - particularly in eastern Europe - feel their security is linked to that of Ukraine. Agreements cannot be implemented "if no consensus can be reached among Nato members," a German government spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Kushner afirmou que os EUA estavam ansiosos para trazer os europeus a bordo e que incluí-los “adicionados ao formato” estaria na agenda de suas conversas com Putin.

There is also disagreement on whether discussions on a future security framework should be preceded by a ceasefire, as the Europeans and Kyiv would want, or whether the fighting only stops after an agreement has been reached, as the Kremlin has insisted.

Any agreement on a peacetime security framework, however, is contingent on the war ending, Kushner noted. But that cannot occur "until there's an agreement on territory and on all other bilateral issues," he added.

Desde que as negociações começaram no ano passado, um obstáculo central para qualquer acordo tem sido a região oriental da Ucrânia, Donetsk, que está majoritariamente ocupada pela Rússia.

Moscou exigiu que a Ucrânia entregue as partes de Donetsk que ainda detém, enquanto Kyiv quer congelar a linha de contato para manter o controle sobre essas áreas.

This matter was the "hardest", Kushner acknowledged, while Zelensky's chief of staff and negotiator Kyrylo Budanov refused to be drawn on whether Russia was still demanding a Ukrainian withdrawal from the region.

These deals are very hard and complex, and this one is very emotional, very complex," Kushner said. "The reality is there is no trust right now between the sides and that is to be expected after a conflict like this.

First day of Ukraine peace talks constructive, Zelensky says.