The key facts

  • Talks between Russia, the US and Ukraine are taking place in Abu Dhabi; the first footage was published by the Kremlin pool
  • The Russian delegation includes Medinsky, Ryabkov, Galuzin, Kostyukov and Zhigalovsky
  • Ukraine is led by National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov; the US is represented by Witkoff and Kushner

First footage from Abu Dhabi

Talks between the delegations of Russia, the United States and Ukraine have begun in Abu Dhabi. The first photo from the meeting venue was published by Kremlin pool journalists on the Telegram channel “RIA_Kremlinpool”: the image shows the hall where the meeting is taking place and the participants seated at the negotiating table. The Russian delegation had earlier arrived at the venue, as reported by Gazeta.Ru.

Composition of the delegations

Russia is represented at the meeting by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, Deputy Foreign Ministers Sergei Ryabkov and Mikhail Galuzin, as well as representatives of two directorates of the General Staff, Igor Kostyukov and Yuri Zhigalovsky. The American delegation is led by US presidential special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The Ukrainian negotiating group, according to Gazeta.Ru, is headed by Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov; it also includes the head of the presidential office Kyrylo Budanov, his first deputy Serhii Kyslytsia, the leader of the Servant of the People faction in the Verkhovna Rada David Arakhamia, deputy head of the Main Intelligence Directorate Vadym Skibitsky, and former commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian General Staff Andriy Hnatov.

Context

Before the meeting began, Umerov said that the Ukrainian delegation had met with representatives of Western countries. In addition, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov previously outlined what the Russian side would focus on during the talks in Abu Dhabi. The content and outcomes of the round of talks itself had not been reported at the time of publication.