Ushakov: Middle East Conflict Blocks Next Ukraine Peace Talks
A Kremlin aide stated that regional instability prevents the scheduling of trilateral negotiations, despite hopes for a meeting in Abu Dhabi next month.
By Petra Murphy ·
Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov stated that the timing of the next round of trilateral talks on the Ukraine conflict is tied to conditions in the Middle East. Speaking on Wednesday, Ushakov cast doubt on whether the discussions will occur next month as previously suggested.
Moscow has not yet proposed a specific date for the meeting, according to remarks Ushakov gave to Russian news agencies. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed hope on Wednesday that the leaders could meet in Abu Dhabi between November 6 and November 10.
Ushakov explained that the schedule depends on battlefield conditions and the general geopolitical environment. He pointed to the regional fallout from the US-Israeli war on Iran as a primary obstacle. "It just doesn't allow us to hold it in the near future. That's my assumption," he told journalists.
The Kremlin official also addressed the potential role of European nations in the process. Leaders of Britain, Germany, and France stated last weekend that Europe would participate in US-mediated talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelensky to secure a ceasefire. Ushakov said there had been no discussion of European negotiators attending the next round.
"There is absolutely no talk about this, nothing being considered," Ushakov said. He noted that the current agreement focuses on resuming three-sided consultations involving representatives from Russia, Ukraine, and the United States.
The United States has led the diplomatic effort to resolve the four-and-a-half-year-old conflict, leaving European allies on the sidelines. Ushakov suggested at the weekend that Europe should be included because its position could be crucial. He added that the possible participation of European countries was not discussed during Putin's Tuesday phone calls with Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere.
The next step in the diplomatic process remains contingent on developments in the Middle East and on the front lines in Ukraine.
