Lavrov calls security the main topic of talks in Abu Dhabi

The Russian side has confirmed that security issues concerning Ukraine, Russia, and the entire region will be the main topic of the upcoming negotiations to end the war. This was stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, according to RBC-Ukraine citing the Russian media outlet RIA Novosti. According to him, these very issues have been designated as the first item on the agenda for the talks scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi on November 10–11.

Security as the first item on the agenda

Speaking about the structure of the upcoming discussions, the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry emphasized that the Abu Dhabi talks agenda places security issues in the first place. “I heard Marco Rubio’s statement that at the talks in Abu Dhabi and generally in the situation surrounding the Ukrainian conflict, security issues are acquiring key significance. Moreover, the very agenda of the talks in Abu Dhabi provides that the first item will be the security issues of Russia, Ukraine, and security in this region as a whole,” Lavrov stated. Thus, the Russian side has publicly fixed the priority of security as the starting point of the negotiation track.

US and European participation

Ahead of the meeting, it became known that European representatives will also join the negotiations. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot confirmed France's participation. This expands the discussion format, taking it beyond the initial Ukraine–US–Russia troika and adding a European dimension to the discussion of security guarantees in the region.

Composition of the Ukrainian delegation

The Ukrainian delegation at the talks in Abu Dhabi will be led by the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, Rustem Umerov. Its members also include the head of the Office of the President Kyrylo Budanov, David Arakhamia, Sergiy Kyslytsya, and Vadym Skibitsky. Such a composition of the delegation indicates that the Ukrainian side intends to conduct discussions at a level that corresponds to both the diplomatic and force dimensions of the conflict.

Context and timing

The next round of talks between Ukraine, the US, and Russia on ending the war is scheduled for November 10–11 in Abu Dhabi. Lavrov's statement was made on the eve of these dates, making it a direct signal of the position from which the Russian side is coming to the negotiating table. Thus, the focus on security—both regional and bilateral—becomes the stated framework for discussing the conditions for ending hostilities.