EU involvement in Ukraine-US-Russia talks would mean more difficult progress - expert

RIGA - The European Union's (EU) involvement in talks between Ukraine, the United States, and Russia would make achieving progress more difficult, Maris Andzans, an associate professor at Riga Stradins University (RSU) and director of the Center for Geopolitical Studies, told LETA.

Andzans noted that the statement by Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Ukrainian president's office, that the second round of the Ukraine-US-Russia talks, which concluded in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, was "truly constructive", might actually mean nothing. "Ukrainian representatives cannot say anything else, considering the position of [US President Donald] Trump," Andzans said.

According to Andzans, Ukraine itself has been forced to be constructive despite the impossibility of a just peace. "This is a forced mask," the expert said.

Andzans also called the announcement on the resumption of military contacts between Russia and the US unpleasant. The expert called it a contradictory signal and pointed to the news that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's special envoy Kirill Dmitriev has been holding parallel talks with US officials on cooperation between the two countries on economic matters.

Overall, the expert assessed that with the Abu Dhabi talks, "we are at the beginning of the end". At the moment, there are likely to be discussions on how a ceasefire could be monitored, but there have been no decisive developments. Russia has more to gain from what is happening now, and it sees how to gain even more, the expert said.

Commenting on the announcement by Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina (New Unity) and Estonian President Alar Karis that the EU should appoint a special envoy to take part in the ongoing talks on ending the war in Ukraine, Andzans said that this is unlikely to happen.

At the same time, he acknowledged that Ukraine and the EU would like this to happen, but since Russia and the US would not agree to it, it is unlikely to happen. "Russia wants to negotiate with fewer parties. They have to negotiate with the US, and the US is pressuring the Ukrainians where it can", Andzans commented.

The expert added that for Russia, it is also a kind of status statement to talk to the most powerful country in the world. "It is easier to talk to the Trump administration, which only wants the war to end - no matter how," Andzans said.

If the EU were involved in the talks, it would be harder to make progress because the EU would be trying to achieve a just peace, the expert said.

Andzans also believes that today's news that Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev, deputy head of the Russian military intelligence agency GRU, has been shot and wounded in Moscow, might be a development harming Ukraine in the peace talks. "Russia can take advantage of this, claiming that Ukraine is not serious about the talks," the expert said, noting that it is still not clear who shot the senior Russian military officer and that this could just as well have been internal score settling.

As reported, the second round of talks between representatives of Ukraine, the US and Russia ended in Abu Dhabi on Thursday. Budanov commented that the talks had been "truly constructive".

U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff called the talks "detailed and productive", but added that significant work remains.

It was also reported that Silina and Karis told Euronews TV channel this week that the EU should appoint its special envoy who would take part in the negotiations to end Russia's war in Ukraine.