Russia says it is premature to discuss restoring trust following Abu Dhabi peace talks

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said Thursday it was too early to speak of restoring trust following US-mediated peace talks with Ukraine, despite "undeniable" progress in the negotiations.

"It would be incorrect to speak of restoring trust between the parties at this moment. That is not how we frame the issue," Ryabkov told Russian media outlet RT.

He said the discussions held Tuesday and Wednesday in the Emirati capital, Abu Dhabi, could help build "something functional," provided there was "sufficient political will."

Ryabkov cited "undeniable" progress in the negotiations but stressed the importance of avoiding "setbacks, reversals, and the torpedoing of things that seemed already within reach."

He said the trilateral talks focused on prospects for a European security architecture that would support a lasting peace agreement, praising Washington's "drive" to resolve the Russia-Ukraine war.

However, Ryabkov acknowledged a "very significant gap" between the parties' approaches to a settlement. He also argued that Europe felt "slighted" by its exclusion from the negotiations.

"Bringing Europeans into the negotiating process could, in effect, lead to a setback and the collapse of efforts that-up to this point-can be described as useful and possessing a certain positive momentum," he said.

He also accused Europe of showing "not the slightest inclination to exercise common sense" regarding Ukraine.

The two-day talks concluded Wednesday with an agreement on a new prisoner exchange between Moscow and Kyiv, although details have yet to be confirmed.

US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner told reporters after the negotiations that he and special envoy Steve Witkoff would travel to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, where they would "finalize the numbers" for the prisoner swap and discuss Europe's possible inclusion in the talks.

The two US envoys arrived in Moscow on Thursday morning and were greeted by Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev at Vnukovo Airport.