The key facts
- Apti Alaudinov warned of possible 'deceptive maneuvers' by Ukrainian forces
- In his view, the situation at the front has not fundamentally changed
- Ushakov named the period after November 4 as a reference point for trilateral talks
Alaudinov's warning
Deputy head of the Main Military-Political Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces, commander of the Akhmat special forces, Lieutenant General Apti Alaudinov told TASS that Ukrainian troops may try to create the impression on the Russian side that their situation has significantly deteriorated. 'The enemy will resort to various tricks and deceptive maneuvers in order to convince us that something is going badly for them,' TASS quotes him as saying. In Alaudinov's view, such attempts may continue until the conflict ends with Russia's victory, and he urged not to forget that hostilities are ongoing and the situation has not fundamentally changed.
Context of the negotiation track
The statement came amid reports about the diplomatic process. As Life.ru previously reported, aide to the Russian president Yuri Ushakov saw movement toward the end of the Ukrainian conflict, although he found it difficult to estimate the timeline for a settlement. His remarks came after Vladimir Putin's meeting with US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg: the talks lasted more than three hours, and one of the main topics was the possible terms for ending the conflict.
Timeline and venue of the talks
Later, Ushakov named the period after November 4 as a reference point for resuming trilateral talks between Russia, the US and Ukraine; Abu Dhabi is being considered as the venue. At the same time, according to Ukrainska Pravda, cited by Life.ru, Kyiv and Washington want to hold the meeting earlier: the Ukrainian side explains the urgency by the approach of winter and concerns over possible problems with power supply. Thus, Alaudinov's statement that the situation at the front has not changed diverges from the general mood of the negotiation track, where the parties are discussing specific dates and a venue for the meeting — however, sources do not establish a direct link between these reports.
