The US fears that Witkoff and Kushner could fall into the Kremlin’s trap at the talks in Abu Dhabi — WP

American and European officials are concerned that Russia could exploit the lack of experience of US President Donald Trump’s special representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner during the talks in Abu Dhabi. In particular, they are talking about the risk of concessions to Moscow on European security issues even before reaching agreements on a ceasefire.

This is reported by The Washington Post.

According to the publication, current and former American national security officials fear that the Russian side could take advantage of the lack of diplomatic experience of Washington’s representatives.

Of particular concern is the possibility of discussing economic cooperation between the United States and Russia even before an agreement is concluded to stop hostilities in Ukraine.

Former US Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Daniel Fried criticized the approach of American negotiators. According to him, they do not listen enough to experts on international security issues.

Russia may impose its own agenda

As the publication notes, one of the main dangers is the possibility of shifting the negotiations from the issue of ending the war in Ukraine to a broader discussion of a new European security architecture.

In particular, Jared Kushner previously stated the need for constant consultations on security, increased military transparency, and the creation of mechanisms for reducing risks.

However, experts point out that similar mechanisms already existed after the end of the Cold War. Among them is the Russia-NATO Council, cooperation within which was suspended in 2014.

Former US National Security Council official Eric Chiaramella emphasized that Russia is trying to undermine the very principles of European security that the American side proposes to restore.

In his opinion, the key contradiction remains Moscow’s unwillingness to recognize the territorial integrity of states and their right to independently choose international alliances.

Negotiations in Abu Dhabi: What is known

Negotiations involving representatives of Ukraine, the United States and Russia are scheduled for November 10-11 in the United Arab Emirates.

Among the issues raised are security guarantees, a possible ceasefire and further steps to end the Russian-Ukrainian war.

At the same time, American and European experts warn that shifting the emphasis to global agreements between Washington and Moscow may make it more difficult to achieve concrete results regarding Ukraine.

Currently, concerns about the negotiating strategy of American representatives are assessments of the publication’s interlocutors, and not confirmation of the actual achievement of agreements with Russia.