Axios is reporting:
The U.S. has asked Russia to submit a new European security proposal that includes both Moscow’s demands and steps it would take to ease tensions with Europe.Russia has long sought limits on NATO expansion and a reduced military presence in Eastern Europe. The request opens the door to discussions, but does not mean Washington has accepted those demands.Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are scheduled to meet Putin on Thursday, followed by a meeting with Zelensky in Dublin.The U.S. also wants European representatives included in future peace talks. Russia continues to resist their participation.The Abu Dhabi talks produced a prisoner-exchange agreement that could be the largest since the war began. The final number remains subject to discussions with the leaders.Washington wants to negotiate a Ukraine peace deal and a broader European security arrangement simultaneously, with the security agreement implemented after a deal to end the war.Europe remains a major hurdle. Ursula von der Leyen says discussions on a new security framework should come after the war ends. According to Axios, Washington has told allies that any agreement requires European and Ukrainian support and would not give Russia a veto over European security.
SUMMARY:
The U.S. is looking to broaden the Ukraine peace negotiations, asking Russia to put a new European security proposal on the table. According to Axios, the request comes with a condition: Moscow needs to outline what it is prepared to do to reduce tensions and reassure Europe, alongside its own security demands. That opens the door to a wider negotiation, but there is still plenty of work to do before the two sides can move toward an agreement.
There has been some progress. The Abu Dhabi talks produced a potentially significant prisoner-exchange agreement, and Witkoff and Kushner are set to take the next round of discussions directly to Putin and Zelensky on Thursday. However, European participation remains a sticking point. Washington wants Europe at the table. Russia continues to push back, while European governments remain deeply skeptical of the broader security proposal.
The sequencing is another key hurdle. Washington wants the peace deal and security framework negotiated together. Von der Leyen wants the war ended before discussing a new security architecture. For markets, my takeaway is that the diplomatic door is opening a little wider, but the next barometer is whether Russia offers concrete concessions and accepts European participation. That would give the optimism a firmer foundation. Until then, this remains progress toward negotiations, with the difficult decisions still ahead.
This article was written by Greg Michalowski at investinglive.com.