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Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States are tentatively scheduled for November 4 in the United Arab Emirates.
Speaking before a cabinet meeting on October 27, Tusk confirmed that he had been briefed in advance about a planned phone call between Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Russian President Vladimir Putin, The Guardian reported.
Both European leaders said they were prepared to take political responsibility for the rare contact with the Kremlin leader and would maintain the agreed position of the Coalition of the Willing.
Tusk said the call took place after consultations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US officials. They had agreed that European leaders should maintain working-level contact ahead of possible ceasefire negotiations in Abu Dhabi.
According to Tusk, the European side came away from the conversation with “very cautious optimism” about the prospects for progress at the talks.
However, the Polish prime minister said he remained “very cautious” about engagement with Russia and urged Stubb and Støre to remain “vigilant” in their dealings with Putin.
“Russia’s agenda and interests are fairly clearly defined, and we should have no illusions about reaching an agreement,” he said.
Tusk stressed that renewed dialogue would not change Europe’s full support for Ukraine or its shared position on the broader European security architecture and security guarantees for Ukraine.
“We must have no illusions. It is clear what the Russian side is playing at, but I will remain in contact with everyone who has good intentions and believes an agreement is possible — or at least a ceasefire before winter,” he said.
Ukraine and the United States have been pushing to bring the UAE meeting forward, but Russia has yet to confirm a change in the date. Kyiv says an earlier meeting is needed as the war continues. Under that scenario, the talks would take place before the US midterm elections.
Stubb and Støre spoke with Putin on the afternoon of October 27. In response to proposals for de-escalation, the Russian president said that achieving a “just and lasting peace” would require Russia’s interests to be fully taken into account.
