Baku, November 10, AZERTAC
The US, Ukraine, and European partners said they aim to move toward "broader multilateral discussions involving European partners" to end the war in Ukraine, according to a joint statement posted on Tuesday by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff on US social media platform X and published by the European Commission.
The statement said representatives of the three sides met ahead of trilateral talks with Russia in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, starting Tuesday, to coordinate 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."
"The United States, Ukraine, and European partners 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," it said.
Participants emphasized that any future arrangements must respect Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independent decision-making, and provide "credible security guarantees" for the country, according to the statement.
It 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."
The discussions also covered how to build on existing European security institutions and agreements after the war ends, and how to ensure "strong mechanisms for managing risk and avoiding dangerous escalation," the statement said.
The participants reaffirmed their commitment to a strong post-war European security architecture and said "a strong NATO will remain central to Euro-Atlantic collective defense."
The meeting in the Emirati capital took place ahead of a new round of US-mediated trilateral peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, also scheduled to be held in Abu Dhabi.
Moscow and Kyiv last held US-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.