In brief: Washington has asked Moscow whether it would object to US security guarantees for Ukraine resembling NATO’s Article 5. Any US commitment would require President Donald Trump’s approval. Russia is resisting European participation and a limited ceasefire as negotiations broaden into questions about Europe’s postwar security.
The US has asked Russia whether it would oppose security guarantees for Ukraine resembling NATO’s collective defense commitment, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday, Nov. 10.
Citing a US official, the FT reported that Washington had raised both an American “Article 5-like” guarantee and the possibility of NATO providing similar protection.
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Any final decision on the nature of a US commitment would rest with President Donald Trump, the official said.
The discussions came during US-mediated negotiations in Abu Dhabi, where Washington sought to address postwar security arrangements and territorial disputes together.
The administration was also pressing Moscow to accept broader negotiations involving European representatives.
“We do believe very strongly that at this point, in order to end the war, you really need to have Europe at the table,” the US official said.
Russia rejects European participation and a limited ceasefire
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov rejected direct European involvement, despite officials from several European countries traveling to Abu Dhabi.
“They flew to Abu Dhabi. Let them sit in the hotel,” he said on Nov. 10, accusing European governments of trying to buy time for Ukraine.
Lavrov, who did not attend the negotiations, also rejected Kyiv’s push for a limited ceasefire.
“We won’t agree to yet another ceasefire without any understanding of what happens next,” he said.
He maintained that Moscow would begin discussing a peace settlement only after agreement on the broad outlines of a future security architecture.
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Kyiv has insisted the war must stop first, before negotiations move toward constructing a wider European security framework.
Putin links security guarantees to territorial concessions
Russia has welcomed discussions about postwar security but shown little indication that President Vladimir Putin is prepared to compromise, according to the FT.
People briefed on his thinking said Putin viewed winter as an opportunity to weaken Ukraine through devastating strikes on its infrastructure.
He continued to demand Ukrainian withdrawal from Kyiv-controlled parts of the Donbas as a condition for a ceasefire and would link future security guarantees to further territorial concessions, they said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has maintained that territorial questions can be discussed only at a meeting between leaders.
Senior Ukrainian officials told the FT that expectations for a breakthrough remained low, reflecting Kyiv’s assessment that Moscow still intended to continue fighting.
Europe defends NATO’s role while considering arms-control talks
US, Ukrainian and European representatives held separate consultations before the trilateral negotiations on Nov. 10.
Participants included Britain, France, Germany, Italy, EU institutions and NATO. They did not meet the Russian delegation.
US envoy Steve Witkoff said the discussions addressed a framework to strengthen Ukraine’s long-term security and build confidence toward a negotiated settlement.
Participants reaffirmed that a strong NATO would remain central to Euro-Atlantic collective defense.
European diplomats nevertheless told the FT they were open to discussing military transparency arrangements and restrictions on certain missile deployments with Russia.
One example was Open Skies. Signed in 1992, the treaty established unarmed observation flights over participating countries. The US withdrew in 2020 and Russia in 2021, according to the OSCE’s overview.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has also demanded a ceasefire before broader security talks, insisting that EU members and NATO allies must participate in any such negotiations.
Abu Dhabi talks conclude after 2 days
The negotiations were the first trilateral round since February, reviving diplomacy that stalled after Trump launched his military campaign against Iran.
Zelensky described the opening day as “constructive and quite substantive.” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said it “went very well,” while officials cautioned that substantial obstacles remained.
The second day concluded on Wednesday, Nov. 11, according to Russia’s TASS news agency. A possible ceasefire, energy security, Black Sea security and prisoner exchanges were among the reported topics.
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