'Key signal emerges': U.S. diplomat Bryza on negotiations with Russia

Matthew Bryza, diplomat and former Director for Europe and Eurasia Affairs at the U.S. National Security Council, stated this in an interview with Espreso.

"We still don't know all the details of what was discussed. According to President Zelenskyy, security guarantees have already been worked out. However, the American side later stated that these guarantees still depend on one crucial issue—the territorial question. It's known that Russia's demands regarding Ukrainian territories have essentially not softened in any way. President Putin insists that Russia receive control over all of Donbas, including those approximately 20% of territories currently not under its control. This means losing the so-called 'fortress cities' that are key to Ukraine's ability to defend itself both today and in the future. Such demands are unacceptable for Ukraine," Matthew Bryza commented.

In his view, on one hand, we can speak of a lack of real progress on the most important issue for which Putin deliberately started the war against Ukraine—territory. On the other hand, the negotiation process itself seems to have shifted, at least in the sense that the parties have agreed to a new meeting this weekend in Abu Dhabi. But we don't know whether this is genuine progress or just Kabuki theater, where Putin is pretending to negotiate while actually trying to avoid President Trump's anger.

"At the same time, another telling signal has emerged: leaks have started coming from the White House saying, 'we understand that President Putin has been negotiating from maximalist positions for a long time, but now he seems to be becoming more constructive.' The U.S. and European allies are also emphasizing that while Special Envoy Witkoff appears to be under the influence and manipulation of President Putin, President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner appears more prepared and capable of understanding the situation," the diplomat noted.

According to him, it's quite possible that some progress is appearing in the negotiations, given that Russia is not winning.

"Russia is not capturing any significant Ukrainian territories. Its economy is weakening, and over the past few weeks, by estimates, the Russian army has lost about 20,000 troops. At the same time, Russia is forced to constantly increase payments to new recruits to attract them to the military, and this resource is likely gradually being exhausted. So perhaps Russia is indeed beginning to feel increasing pressure and is looking for a way to end the war. And perhaps that's why it agreed to another round of negotiations in Abu Dhabi this weekend," Bryza concluded.

• On January 30, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected the idea of holding negotiations with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in Moscow, emphasizing that Ukraine is ready for any real meeting format and, in particular, invited the Kremlin leader to Kyiv.