MOSCOW, Nov 10 - A source within the Russian delegation said that the principal aim of the peace talks on Ukraine, due to begin in Abu Dhabi later on Tuesday, is to negotiate the main components of a new post-war security framework for Europe.
The talks, brokered by the United States, will bring Russian and Ukrainian officials together for two days - their first direct discussions since February. The meetings follow a recent suggestion by US President Donald Trump that a wide-ranging peace deal in the 4-1/2-year-old conflict is possible and that it could encompass European security arrangements.
According to the Russian delegation source, the agenda will concentrate on designing mechanisms intended to prevent threats and to reinforce regional stability. The source said the settlement of Ukraine, while of critical importance, is regarded as one component within a broader debate and is subordinated to the larger objective - the creation of a comprehensive and indivisible security architecture for the entire continent.
"Whilst the Ukrainian settlement, being a matter of critical importance, is just one aspect of this wide-ranging discussion, it is subordinate to the main objective - the creation of a comprehensive and indivisible security architecture for the entire continent," the source said.
Representatives from France, Britain, Germany, the European Union, NATO and Italy are also expected to be in Abu Dhabi and to engage with US and Ukrainian officials. Russia has not indicated that it will conduct direct talks with European delegations during this week.
The Russian delegation comprises 11 members and is led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky. It also includes two deputy foreign ministers and several senior officials from military and intelligence services.
This set of meetings brings together multiple actors around a US-mediated process, with Moscow signalling that drafting a continent-wide security arrangement is the predominant focus. The framework and mechanisms discussed in Abu Dhabi will be central to how the parties describe threat prevention and regional stability, according to the Russian delegation source.