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Witkoff, Jared Kushner to not Attend Russian, Ukrainian officials Meeting
(MENAFN) US representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are not expected to take part in the upcoming discussions between Russian and Ukrainian officials in Abu Dhabi this weekend, as confirmed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to reports.
The talks are set to take place on Sunday, following an earlier round of negotiations held a week ago in the same city that brought together delegations from Russia, Ukraine, and the United States. While the upcoming meeting has again been labeled a trilateral format, officials indicated that Washington’s involvement would be more limited this time.
“There might be a US presence” in Abu Dhabi, Rubio said in remarks to lawmakers in Washington, “but it won’t be Steve and Jared.”
Witkoff and Kushner have previously held several meetings with senior figures from both Moscow and Kiev, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky. Reflecting on the earlier round of talks, Witkoff characterized the discussions as “very constructive,” while the Kremlin welcomed the launch of direct dialogue involving all three sides as a “positive” development.
Despite these exchanges, all parties have conceded that disagreements over territory remain the most significant barrier to reaching a peace settlement. Moscow maintains that any durable agreement would require Ukrainian troops to pull back from Donetsk and Lugansk, regions that voted to join Russia in 2022. The Kremlin has also insisted that Kiev formally accept the revised borders, including Crimea. Zelensky, however, has consistently rejected the idea of giving up any territory.
Territory is “the one remaining item” preventing an agreement, Rubio said on Wednesday. “I know there’s active work going on to try and see if both sides’ views on that can be reconciled,” he added, noting that “it’s still a bridge we haven’t crossed.”
Ahead of last weekend’s meeting, Putin’s senior aide Yury Ushakov warned that Russia currently holds the upper hand on the battlefield and would pursue its aims through military means if diplomatic efforts fail to deliver a resolution.
The talks are set to take place on Sunday, following an earlier round of negotiations held a week ago in the same city that brought together delegations from Russia, Ukraine, and the United States. While the upcoming meeting has again been labeled a trilateral format, officials indicated that Washington’s involvement would be more limited this time.
“There might be a US presence” in Abu Dhabi, Rubio said in remarks to lawmakers in Washington, “but it won’t be Steve and Jared.”
Witkoff and Kushner have previously held several meetings with senior figures from both Moscow and Kiev, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky. Reflecting on the earlier round of talks, Witkoff characterized the discussions as “very constructive,” while the Kremlin welcomed the launch of direct dialogue involving all three sides as a “positive” development.
Despite these exchanges, all parties have conceded that disagreements over territory remain the most significant barrier to reaching a peace settlement. Moscow maintains that any durable agreement would require Ukrainian troops to pull back from Donetsk and Lugansk, regions that voted to join Russia in 2022. The Kremlin has also insisted that Kiev formally accept the revised borders, including Crimea. Zelensky, however, has consistently rejected the idea of giving up any territory.
Territory is “the one remaining item” preventing an agreement, Rubio said on Wednesday. “I know there’s active work going on to try and see if both sides’ views on that can be reconciled,” he added, noting that “it’s still a bridge we haven’t crossed.”
Ahead of last weekend’s meeting, Putin’s senior aide Yury Ushakov warned that Russia currently holds the upper hand on the battlefield and would pursue its aims through military means if diplomatic efforts fail to deliver a resolution.
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