--- title: "Budanov to lead Ukrainian delegation at trilateral talks with the US and Russia in Abu Dhabi" description: "Head of the Office of the President Kyrylo Budanov will lead the Ukrainian delegation at trilateral talks with the US and Russia in Abu Dhabi on November 10–11. He does not expect a breakthrough but considers the fact of a personal meeting of the delegations a sign of progress." date: 2026-11-06T16:45:45.185Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/budanov-to-lead-ukrainian-delegation-in-abu-dhabi-talks tags: [ukraine, russia, peace-talks, abu-dhabi, budanov, diplomacy] author: "Alexander Buran" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Budanov to lead Ukrainian delegation at trilateral talks with the US and Russia in Abu Dhabi ![Head of Ukrainian Intelligence Kyrylo Budanov wearing a tactical jacket against a brick wall](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/06/budanov-vozglavit-ukrainskuyu-delegaciyu-na-peregovorah-v-abu-dabi/budanov-vozglavit-ukrainskuyu-delegaciyu-na-peregovorah-v-abu-dabi-1.webp) ## Key Points - Kyrylo Budanov will lead the Ukrainian delegation at trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi on November 10–11, just as he did in February. - Budanov does not expect a breakthrough but considers the fact of a personal meeting between Russian and Ukrainian delegations a sign of progress. - The Russian delegation will be led by Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky; Russia's participation has been confirmed by the Kremlin. - The agenda includes security guarantees, cessation of strikes on energy infrastructure, unblocking the grain corridor, and prisoner exchanges. 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. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Делегацию Украины на переговорах с РФ в Абу-Даби возглавит Буданов, - CBS News](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/delegatsiyu-ukrayini-peregovorah-rf-abu-dabi-1793983031.html) - Primary source: Budanov's statement in CBS News interview, expectations, quote, context of Zelensky's preparation, agenda, Russian confirmation. - [Буданов возглавит украинскую делегацию на переговорах с Россией в Абу-Даби](https://report.az/ru/drugie-strany/budanov-vozglavit-ukrainskuyu-delegaciyu-na-peregovorah-s-rossiej-v-abu-dabi) - Confirms the dates of November 10–11 and the leadership of the delegation; adds that the Russian delegation will be led by Vladimir Medinsky. - [Буданов возглавит делегацию Украины на переговорах в Абу-Даби](https://24tv.ua/ru/peregovory-v-abu-dabi-1011-nojabrja-2026-goda-delegaciju-vozglavit-budanov_n3175551) - Confirms the dates and the role of the US as organizer; conveys Nauseda's assessment of the prospects for negotiations. - [Буданов возглавит украинскую делегацию на переговорах в Абу-Даби](https://ukranews.com/news/1186016-budanov-vozglavit-ukrainskuyu-delegatsiyu-na-peregovorah-v-abu-dabi) - Confirms the leadership of the delegation by Budanov based on his own words in the interview. ## FAQ ### Who will lead the Ukrainian delegation at the Abu Dhabi talks? The Ukrainian delegation will be led by Head of the Office of the President Kyrylo Budanov, as he did in February during initial discussions. ### When and where will the trilateral talks take place? Talks involving Ukraine, the US, and Russia will take place in Abu Dhabi on November 10–11, 2026; the US is acting as the organizer. ### Does Budanov expect a breakthrough from the meeting? No, Budanov does not expect a significant step forward but considers the fact of a personal meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations a sign of some progress. ### Who will lead the Russian delegation? According to Report, the Russian delegation will be led by Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky; Russia's participation in the talks has been confirmed by the Kremlin.