The key facts
- Talks in Abu Dhabi are scheduled for November 10–11; the format includes only three countries
- The Russian delegation will be led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky
- Kyiv, according to Umerov, plans separate consultations with the UK, France, Germany, and Italy
Delegations have gathered in the capital of the UAE
The Russian delegation has arrived in Abu Dhabi to take part in a new round of talks on the Ukrainian settlement; the meeting with representatives of the United States and Ukraine is scheduled for November 10–11. This was reported, citing a source of RIA Novosti, by Life.ru — the agency's interlocutor confirmed the arrival with a brief 'They have arrived.'
Composition of the delegations and format
The Russian negotiating group will be led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky. It also includes Deputy Foreign Ministers Sergei Ryabkov and Mikhail Galuzin, head of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Igor Kostyukov, and Defense Ministry representative Yuri Zhigarlovsky. The United States will be represented at the consultations by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, while the Ukrainian side will be led by Foreign Intelligence Service head Rustem Umerov. According to Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov, the agreed format provides for the participation of only three countries. Discussions are expected on security issues, measures to reduce escalation, and further diplomatic steps.
Plans of the Ukrainian side
Earlier, Life.ru reported on the dispatch of the Ukrainian delegation to Abu Dhabi. Umerov stated that Kyiv intends to hold separate consultations with representatives of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy; among the main goals of the trip, he named obtaining security guarantees and creating conditions for the country's recovery after the end of the conflict. Thus, the trilateral format in the UAE does not rule out parallel contacts between Kyiv and the European capitals that the Ukrainian side speaks of.
