Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
New talks are planned, but no date has been confirmed yet.
The Kremlin on Monday underlined that questions of land remain central to Russia’s approach to ending the war in Ukraine, following this weekends trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi between Ukraine, Russia and the U.S..
The discussions ended without a breakthrough, but were described by Russian officials as a step toward further engagement.
Territorial red lines
Russia’s state-run RIA Novosti news agency cites Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said territory was a core issue for Moscow in any peace agreement.
“It’s no secret that this is our consistent position, the position of our president, that the territorial issue, which is part of the Anchorage formula, is of fundamental importance to the Russian side,” Peskov was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti.
Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated that Russia intends to secure the entire Donbas region, most of which is already under Russian control, unless Ukraine agrees to cede it through negotiations.
Talks without a deal
The trilateral talks over the weekend ended without any major breakthrough.
However, Tass cites Dmitry Peskov for saying that the talks are set to continue next week, although no dates has been confirmed yet.
Ukrainian authorities have consistently rejected any proposal that would involve surrendering territory that Russian forces have not fully taken on the battlefield.
RIA Novosti also quoted Peskov as giving a positive assessment of what he described as “constructive talks” in Abu Dhabi.
The meetings, which were brokered by the United States, concluded without an agreement.
Sources: RIA Novosty, Tass, Reuters
