The administration of US President Donald Trump intends to make progress towards resolving the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Trump's special envoy, Jared Kushner, said ahead of two-day trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi involving Moscow, Kyiv and Washington.
President Trump is determined to bring an end to this horrible war, the statement said.
It noted that the United States' primary goal is to find a diplomatic solution that would ensure lasting peace and create conditions for a sovereign, secure and prosperous Ukraine.
According to Kushner, before the talks begin, the US delegation will hold consultations with representatives of Ukraine, the EU, NATO, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Italy.
"I will meet with our partners from Ukraine, the EU, NATO, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Italy to continue the close consultation and coordination we have undertaken on European security and Ukraine"s postwar future over the past several weeks," he said.
He stressed that the negotiators' main objective is to bring Ukraine and Russia together to discuss directly their post-war security concerns, proposals and potential solutions.
"We hope these discussions will help identify areas of common ground, advance practical solutions and build momentum for the next phase of negotiations," Kushner said.
Particular attention is expected to focus on four areas: ending hostilities; providing security guarantees to Ukraine; economic recovery and attracting investment; and humanitarian issues, including the return of prisoners of war and civilians.
The US side also believes it is necessary to establish direct dialogue between Russia and European countries on broader security issues.
"We hope to shift the focus from managing the war toward building the foundations for a durable peace," Kushner stressed.
The United States acknowledges the complexity of the upcoming talks but hopes to achieve concrete results and chart a path forward towards a peaceful settlement.