The Ukrainian delegation has begun its work in Abu Dhabi as part of preparations for a meeting with representatives of the US and European partners. According to the Head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service, Rustem Umerov, writing on his Telegram channel, the initial phase aims to align positions and coordinate further actions before moving to a trilateral negotiation format involving Russia. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine.
Composition of Delegations and Consultation Format
According to Umerov, representatives of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, as well as NATO and the European Commission, joined the first meeting. The US side is represented in the consultations by Special Presidential Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. In addition to Umerov, the Ukrainian delegation includes Head of the Office of the President Kyrylo Budanov, Servant of the People faction leader in the Verkhovna Rada David Arakhamia, First Deputy Head of the Office of the President Sergiy Kyslytsya, and Deputy Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense Vadym Skibitsky.
Priorities of the Ukrainian Side
The main goal of the current consultations is to compare partners' positions and determine common steps ahead of the next stage of the negotiation process. Umerov outlined the key tasks Ukraine aims to achieve: a cessation of hostilities, reliable security guarantees after the war ends, economic recovery, and the further development of the country. The delegation intends to pay separate attention to humanitarian issues. "We are working to make maximum progress in these matters and bring peace closer," emphasized the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service.
Russia's Position and Composition of the Russian Delegation
The Russian delegation at the Abu Dhabi talks will be led by Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky. It also includes Deputy Foreign Ministers Sergey Ryabkov and Mikhail Galuzin, Chief of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Federation Igor Kostyukov, and Deputy Chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff Yury Zhigarlovsky. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that security guarantees for Ukraine, Russia, and the entire region will be one of the key issues at the upcoming talks.
Context: From Deadlock to Resumption of Dialogue
The talks in Abu Dhabi serve as a continuation of efforts to bring the stalled dialogue to a new level. Earlier, Russian Presidential Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that the next round of negotiations aimed at ending the war is scheduled for the first half of November in Abu Dhabi and will be held in a trilateral format. Regarding Europe's potential participation, he noted that "nothing can be ruled out a priori." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in turn, stated that he coordinated his actions with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen ahead of the talks. Thus, the meeting in the UAE is structured as a two-step process: first, coordination between Ukraine and Western partners, followed by a trilateral format involving the US and Russia.
