US, Ukraine and European partners back post-war security framework

Representatives of the US, Ukraine and European partners said on Tuesday that any future settlement should respect sovereignty and territorial integrity and provide credible security guarantees for Ukraine. Their joint statement did not spell out how those guarantees would work.

The meeting in Abu Dhabi brought together the US and Ukraine with the EU, France, Germany, Italy, the UK and NATO. It preceded separate three-way talks between Russia, Ukraine and the US, at which European representatives were not present.

The participants said they had discussed building on existing European security institutions and agreements after the war. They also affirmed that a strong NATO would remain central to collective defence across the Euro-Atlantic area.

There are different views on what wider European security arrangements should look like. At the opening of the three-way talks, US negotiator Jared Kushner spoke of creating a new framework that builds on past institutions and agreements. German foreign minister Johann Wadephul has said new European security arrangements are unnecessary from Europe’s point of view, according to Dutch broadcaster NOS.

Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported that the first day of the three-way talks ended after nearly four hours. Ukraine’s foreign intelligence service said they were expected to resume on Wednesday, the Associated Press reported.

Moscow and Kyiv remain far apart on a settlement. President Vladimir Putin wants Ukraine to withdraw its troops from four regions claimed by Russia and abandon its ambition to join NATO. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejects surrendering territory or accepting limits on Ukraine’s military, and Kyiv wants an immediate ceasefire before wider negotiations.