U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said representatives of the United States, Ukraine and European partners met to coordinate ahead of upcoming trilateral discussions with Russia, as they work to end the war in Ukraine and set the conditions for a durable peace.
The statement said the meeting continued the partners’ close coordination, including support for robust security guarantees for Ukraine as part of any settlement.
Witkoff described the talks as collaborative. The partners share the same objectives, he said, and consultations are continuing, with a shared commitment to Euro-Atlantic security.
Guarantees Must Be Credible
Any future arrangement, the participants stressed, has to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Kyiv must also be free to make its own decisions, and the security guarantees behind any deal have to be credible.
“The shared objective is to develop a practical and mutually reinforcing security framework that strengthens Ukraine’s long-term security and builds the confidence necessary to reach a negotiated settlement.”
After the War
Much of the discussion was about what comes after the war. The partners talked about building on the European security institutions and agreements already in place.
Post-war security worries cannot be left for later, the participants agreed, and the risk of a new conflict has to come down. They looked at ways to manage that risk and keep a dangerous escalation from happening.
On one point there was no ambiguity. NATO stays at the center of collective defense in the Euro-Atlantic area, and Europe’s post-war security arrangements have to be strong.
Witkoff said the three sides will keep working closely together as the negotiations go on. The aim now is to widen the talks into a broader multilateral format with the European partners, and to reach a peace that is comprehensive and lasting.