Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov will lead the Ukrainian delegation at a trilateral meeting involving the US and Russia, which will take place in Abu Dhabi on November 10–11. He announced this in an interview with the American TV channel CBS News, which RBC-Ukraine cited, referencing the official's own words. According to Budanov, he is leading the negotiation group for the second time: in February, he had already headed the Ukrainian delegation during initial discussions. Journalist Aidan Stretch, within the same interview, discussed with Budanov the preparation for the upcoming meeting and current diplomatic expectations.
Expectations: progress without a breakthrough
Budanov explicitly stated that he does not expect a significant step forward from the upcoming meeting. However, he emphasized that he views the very fact that the delegations of Russia and Ukraine agreed to meet face-to-face in the same room as a sign of some progress. "I will repeat once again that these negotiations are not the last ones; they are not final. Everything we will talk about is about the ongoing readiness to end the war. What will we achieve? I will refrain from answering," said the Head of the Office of the President. He also noted that the parties do not plan to limit the diplomatic track to a single meeting in the UAE.
Military experience as a negotiation asset
In the CBS News interview, Budanov noted that the military experience accumulated by Ukrainian and Russian specialists during the war since 2014 could help the parties move forward on a number of technical issues related to how exactly a ceasefire could be organized. The publication emphasizes that Budanov is not a typical Ukrainian politician but a person with deep military expertise, which, in his own words, makes his presence at the negotiation table an additional factor for working out practical details.
Preparation for the meeting
Previously, as reported by RBC-Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky held a conversation with US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, during which the main focus was on preparing for the negotiations in Abu Dhabi. Zelensky declared the necessity to discuss security guarantees within the framework of the upcoming peace talks on November 10–11. Among other key issues planned for discussion are the cessation of strikes on energy infrastructure, the unblocking of the "grain corridor," the exchange of prisoners of war, and a possible meeting of the countries' leaders.
Position of the Russian side
The Kremlin confirmed that Russia will take part in the peace talks in Abu Dhabi. According to Report, the Russian delegation at the trilateral talks will be led by Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky. The United States is acting as the organizer of the trilateral negotiation process in the United Arab Emirates.
Differing assessments of prospects
Against the backdrop of preparations for the meeting, more cautious assessments are also being heard. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, according to reports, believes that Russia does not plan to enter into real peace negotiations at least until the spring of 2027 and will continue winter attacks; he is also convinced that Moscow will intentionally disrupt the dialogue with unacceptable demands. Thus, despite the fact that the meeting is confirmed by both sides, a discrepancy in expectations regarding its outcomes between participants and observers remains.
