The United States has reportedly asked Russia to draft a new European security agreement that includes not only Moscow’s demands but also its own “reciprocal steps” to reduce tensions, while making European participation in future peace talks a condition for serious security discussions. That creates a test of Russian commitments rather than evidence that a deal exists.
Ukrainska Pravda reported on November 12, citing Axios and two informed sources, that US representatives Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff conveyed the position in contacts linked to the Abu Dhabi talks. According to the report, Washington invited Russia to prepare a new text addressing its security concerns while setting out steps Russia would take to de-escalate and reassure Europe that it would not attack in the future.
That condition matters because it moves the discussion beyond a list of Russian demands. If Moscow produces a draft, it could be judged both on the restrictions it seeks from NATO or other states and on the commitments it is prepared to make itself. Without that reciprocal element, a discussion of a new security architecture risks becoming a one-sided exercise.
The second test concerns who is at the table. The report said Kushner and Witkoff told Russian representatives that serious discussion of European security required acceptance of European representatives in future peace negotiations. The same sources said Washington had told European governments it would not reach a security agreement with Russia without Europe and Ukraine, and would not grant Russia a veto over European security matters.
There is already a substantial objection to treating a new European security arrangement as a route to ending the war. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul rejected that approach, according to the report. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had also warned the Trump administration that a proposed European security plan could be dangerous if Russia showed no sign of wanting to end the war.
The immediate development, then, is the reported US framework: Russia is being asked to state what it will do, and to accept European participation in the process. Its practical meaning depends on whether Russia submits a draft, identifies reciprocal measures and agrees to the proposed format.
Sources
- Українська правда · Source date: 2026-11-12
Independent editorial content. WUA is not affiliated with any political party. 2026-11-12
Abu Dhabi Ukraine-US-Russia talks: Europe’s proposed seat matters more than a “productive” label