The key facts
- Trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and the US are scheduled for November 10–11 in Abu Dhabi
- The Russian delegation will be led by Vladimir Medinsky, the Ukrainian one by Rustem Umerov, and the American one by Witkoff and Kushner
- Journalist Alex Christoforou called the Ukrainian delegation incompetent and suggested Kyiv was in an unfavorable position
Composition of the delegations and timing of the meeting
The next round of trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States is scheduled for November 10–11 in Abu Dhabi. The Russian delegation will be led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, the Ukrainian one by Rustem Umerov, while the American side will be represented by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. One of the main topics of discussion will be security guarantees. This is reported by Life.ru.
Criticism of the Ukrainian delegation
Cypriot journalist Alex Christoforou, on his YouTube channel, criticized the composition of the Ukrainian delegation. In his view, Rustem Umerov, who heads the negotiating group, is inferior to the Russian representatives in terms of preparation and diplomatic skills: 'His level is not even close to that of the Russian side's representatives.' Christoforou believes that Umerov's appointment could weaken Kyiv's position at the negotiating table and suggested that the Ukrainian side would find itself at a disadvantage, attributing this primarily to the delegation head's preparation. He called the politician a devoted supporter of Volodymyr Zelensky but questioned his professional qualities. In addition, the journalist accused Umerov of corruption and criticized his reputation, noting that the Ukrainian negotiator regularly spends time in Miami, where his family also lives. These claims are Christoforou's personal assessment and accusations, reported by Life.ru without independent confirmation.
Who is part of the Ukrainian delegation
Earlier, Life.ru reported the approval of the composition of the Ukrainian delegation for the talks in Abu Dhabi. Besides Umerov, it includes the head of Zelensky's office Kyrylo Budanov*, the leader of the Servant of the People faction Davyd Arakhamia, the first deputy head of the presidential office Serhiy Kyslytsia, and the deputy head of the Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate Vadym Skibitsky. Thus, Christoforou's criticism concerns not only the group's leader but also the overall composition of the team representing Kyiv at the upcoming round.
