Ryabkov: It is premature to speak of restoring trust after the talks in Abu Dhabi

Moscow assessed the outcome of the talks in Abu Dhabi

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Thursday that it is premature to speak of restoring trust between the parties after the talks on Ukraine in Abu Dhabi, despite the 'undoubted' progress in the negotiations. 'It would be incorrect to speak of restoring trust between the parties at this moment. That is not how we frame this question,' he said in an interview with the Russian channel RT.

Progress and the gap in positions

According to Ryabkov, the discussions held on Tuesday and Wednesday in the capital of the UAE could help build 'something functional' provided there is 'sufficient political will.' He stressed the importance of avoiding 'rollbacks, reversals and torpedoing of what already seemed almost achieved.' At the same time, the diplomat acknowledged a 'very significant gap' between the parties' approaches to a settlement. The talks, as he described them, concerned the prospects of a European security architecture capable of supporting a durable peace agreement; he also spoke positively of Washington's desire to resolve the conflict.

Prisoner exchange and the visit of American envoys to Moscow

The two-day talks concluded on Wednesday with an agreement on a new prisoner exchange between Moscow and Kyiv, although the details have not yet been confirmed. Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, told journalists after the meetings that he and special envoy Steve Witkoff would travel to Moscow for a meeting with Vladimir Putin to 'agree on the numbers' for the exchange and discuss the possible involvement of Europe in the negotiations. On Thursday morning, both American representatives arrived at Moscow's Vnukovo airport, where they were met by presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev.

Attitude toward Europe's participation

Ryabkov said that Europe feels 'left out' because of its exclusion from the talks, but in his view, bringing Europeans into the process 'could, in essence, lead to a rollback and the collapse of efforts that so far can be described as useful and carrying a certain positive momentum.' He also accused Europe of 'a complete lack of any inclination toward common sense' on the Ukrainian issue. These assessments reflect the position of the Russian diplomat and are not an independent characterization of the position of European countries.