U.S. Return To Ukraine Peace Talks More About Optics Than Substance Analyst

(MENAFN- UkrinForm) Political analyst and Good Politics communications and government relations agency partner Maksym Dzhyhun said this in a comment to Ukrinform.

“A real impetus for systematic negotiations can emerge only when Russia's position is significantly weakened, while Moscow is not in such a position at the moment,” the analyst said.

He believes the current increase in U.S. involvement in the negotiating process is driven by Donald Trump administration's desire to achieve at least some diplomatic result on the foreign policy front.

“Against the backdrop of the total failure in the Middle East, Trump now needs more than ever to demonstrate a high level of activity in order to win the parliamentary special elections that will take place as early as November,” the expert added.

He welcomed the fact that representatives of the U.S. State Department and Treasury were included in the American negotiating team this time. In Dzhyhun's view, this indicates that Washington is taking a more systematic approach to the negotiating process, rather than relying solely on Trump's personal diplomatic initiative.

“Witkoff and Kushner are two people who have no connection whatsoever to the diplomatic sphere. Trump is accustomed to trusting people who are loyal to him and whom he has known for a long time, rather than those with a strong education and a proven record of effectiveness. Someone would have to make up for this lack of diplomatic skills and knowledge, which is why State Department representatives are part of the delegation,” the analyst said.

At the same time, Dzhyhun does not expect a quick breakthrough from the latest diplomatic meetings.

“Thinking that rearranging the chairs and bringing in some new negotiating groups can move things off dead center is probably not realistic. For now, this is more about demonstrating form than substance, and about showing at some diplomatic level that the United States still controls the process and controls the negotiating narrative,” the analyst concluded.

Read also: Witkoff says substantive progress made toward trilateral talks to end Russia-Ukraine war

On September 6, U.S. President's Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held talks in Kyiv with President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Ukrainian side described the meetings as substantive, saying they discussed, among other things, possible parameters for ending the war and support for Ukraine ahead of winter.

As reported by Ukrinform, Trump's Envoys Witkoff and Kushner brought updated versions of previous U.S. peace proposals to Kyiv and Moscow.

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