The key facts

  • The Russia–Ukraine–US meeting is scheduled for November 10–11 in Abu Dhabi, with the US as mediator
  • Vladimir Medinsky will remain Russia's chief negotiator; Peskov confirmed the delegation's participation
  • Karasin said the decision is 'overdue' and expressed doubt about Kiev's position

Trilateral meeting in Abu Dhabi

The next trilateral meeting of Russia, Ukraine and the United States on resolving the Ukrainian crisis is scheduled for November 10–11 in Abu Dhabi. Washington will act as the mediator. The participation of the Russian delegation was confirmed by presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov; the chief negotiator, as Gazeta.Ru reported, will remain presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky.

The Federation Council's position ahead of the talks

On the eve of the meeting, Grigory Karasin, First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, told Gazeta.Ruthat Moscow and Washington understand that a settlement decision is 'long overdue,' while Kiev's position, in his words, remains an open question. He described the Ukrainian team of recent years as 'completely incapable of negotiating' and, in his view, as having feigned interest in solutions under pressure and control from Western Europe. He cited Vladimir Zelensky's regular trips around European countries asking for funding and new weapons as a sign that this situation persists. 'We will not predict anything, but the logic itself pushes toward the conclusion that the decisions are overdue. This is understood, naturally, in Moscow and in Washington. Whether this is understood in Kiev, we shall see — we will not fantasize,' the outlet quotes him as saying.

What is known and what is not yet known

Apart from the mention of Medinsky, the publications do not report on the content of the agenda or the composition of the delegations. Karasin's assessments are a statement by the Russian side, not a description of Kiev's or Washington's position; the outcomes of the talks will become known after November 10–11. The outlet also recalls that Trump previously spoke about agreements with Russia regarding Ukraine and Europe.