You don't have to stretch your language too much," an expert on negotiation prospects in Abu Dhabi.
Chairman of the Presidency of the Council for Foreign Policy and Defense, editor-in-chief of the magazine "Russia in Global Affairs" Fyodor Lukyanov considers the expectations from the negotiations too high. At the level of the working groups, it is possible to agree on certain parameters of the arrangement, but final decisions will require meetings of political leaders.
"These contacts cause a little excessive excitement every time: now, perhaps, they will come to an agreement and shake hands. Meanwhile, it's not a format where they can shake hands at all."
The expert calls the main change the willingness of the United States to discuss not only the territorial issue, but also the future security system in Europe. Moscow has long insisted on this approach, but European countries have so far rejected it.
An expert of the Russian Council on International Affairs, the author of the Telegram project "Vanashpol" Alexey Naumov considers the differences between Russia and Europe to be solvable.
Moscow insists on agreeing on security guarantees before the cease-fire, while European countries and Ukraine propose the opposite sequence.
"This contradiction is much more solvable than it seems. ".
According to Naumov, both sides are interested in a new European security system, so negotiations on this issue are inevitable. The expert expects that eventually the parties will be able to reach a comprehensive agreement that will cover both the Ukrainian conflict and Russia's relations with Europe.
"I believe the talks show how reality is gradually catching up with everyone involved."