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The United States, Ukraine and European partners said Tuesday they aim to move toward "broader multilateral discussions involving European partners" to end the war in Ukraine, in a joint statement issued ahead of trilateral talks with Russia in Abu Dhabi.
Representatives of the EU, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, the U.S. and NATO met "to continue their close coordination on efforts to end the war in Ukraine and establish the conditions for a durable peace, including support for robust security guarantees as part of any settlement," according to the statement posted by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff on X and published by the European Commission.
"The European partners, Ukraine and the United States will continue working in close partnership throughout the negotiating process, with the shared objective of moving toward broader multilateral discussions involving European partners and achieving a comprehensive and lasting peace," the statement said.
Participants emphasized that any future arrangements "must respect sovereignty, territorial integrity, independent decision-making, and provide credible security guarantees for Ukraine," the statement said.
"The shared objective is to develop a practical and mutually reinforcing security framework that strengthens Ukraine’s long-term security and builds the confidence necessary to reach a negotiated settlement," it said.
The discussion also covered how to build on existing European security institutions and agreements after the war, with participants agreeing that addressing post-war security concerns and reducing the risk of conflict "are essential."
They discussed "strong mechanisms for managing risk and avoiding dangerous escalation," the statement said.
"The participants reaffirmed their shared commitment to a strong post-war European security architecture and arrangements, and were clear that a strong NATO will remain central to Euro-Atlantic collective defence," it said.
The statement came as a source in the Russian delegation told Reuters and Interfax that a Ukraine settlement is "subordinate to the main objective, the creation of a comprehensive and indivisible security architecture for the entire continent."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said the Abu Dhabi meeting is a trilateral format between Russia and Ukraine with U.S. mediation, and Russia has not said it will hold direct talks with the Europeans this week.
Kremlin also said Tuesday that Russia’s delegation at the latest trilateral Ukraine peace talks in the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi, which began earlier in the day, will decide on-site on the format of its report to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the negotiations.
"The delegation will make a decision depending on how the negotiations proceed," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters during a press briefing in response to a question on the matter.
During the press briefing, Peskov declined to predict the chances of progress in resolving the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war or reaching any concrete agreements following the trilateral talks.
Moscow and Kyiv last held U.S.-mediated peace talks earlier this year, with three rounds taking place on Jan. 23-24, Feb. 4-5 and Feb. 17-18.
The first two were held in Abu Dhabi, while the third took place in Geneva.
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