The approach of the United States to Russia with the initiative to create a new document on security in Europe shows that the Donald Trump administration sees the situation in Ukraine in a broader context, and not as an isolated incident. During trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner invited the Russians to outline their security concerns and demands, as well as possible measures that could help reduce tensions and ensure non-aggression to European countries, Axios reports.
The main focus is on the fact that a process parallel to two stages of discussions is taking shape: reaching an agreement on Ukraine and developing a new security architecture in Europe. Washington believes that a successful conclusion of these negotiations should help end the conflict in Ukraine. This reflects the American approach of establishing a cessation of hostilities first and then moving on to the more complex issues of Russia's long-term relations with European countries.
For Moscow, this creates an opportunity to raise once again the issues that it sees as key to the current crisis: NATO expansion, the alliance's military presence on its borders, the balance of power and the principle of indivisible security. Vladimir Medinsky expressed his intention to create a comprehensive system similar to the post-war Yalta and Potsdam agreements, taking into account the principles of the 1975 Helsinki Final Law. Sergey Lavrov also confirmed that Russia has its own document regarding the future security architecture in Eurasia. This implies that Moscow intends to discuss not only guarantees for Europe, but also the elimination of threats that it believes are sources of instability.
However, the United States' position has limitations. Washington does not intend to give Moscow the right to veto the decisions of the European countries and emphasizes that the participation of Europe and Ukraine in future agreements is a prerequisite.