--- title: "“A Band-Aid Won't Cut It”: Medinsky on Abu Dhabi Talks and Refusal of European Contacts" description: "Russian negotiator Medinsky named European security the central topic of the Abu Dhabi talks and claimed partial mutual understanding while denying contacts with Europeans." date: 2026-11-11T13:07:52.949Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/medinsky-abu-dhabi-talks-european-security tags: [abu-dabi-talks, european-security, ukraine, russia, prisoner-exchange, ceasefire] author: "Alexander Buran" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # “A Band-Aid Won't Cut It”: Medinsky on Abu Dhabi Talks and Refusal of European Contacts ![International delegations at a negotiation table in an Abu Dhabi hall to discuss security.](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/11/medinsky-itogi-peregovorov-v-abu-dabi-bezopasnost-evropy/medinsky-itogi-peregovorov-v-abu-dabi-bezopasnost-evropy-1.webp) ## Key Points - Negotiations between Ukrainian, American, and Russian delegations took place on November 10–11, 2026, in Abu Dhabi. - Vladimir Medinsky named European security architecture as the central topic and claimed understanding on several points. - Medinsky stated that Russian representatives did not interact with Europeans, citing their “unclear” status. - Sources indicate the first day focused on security guarantees and prisoner swaps, with the second day covering ceasefire, energy, and the Black Sea. On November 10 and 11, 2026, negotiations took place in Abu Dhabi (UAE) involving Ukrainian, American, and Russian delegations. Following the meeting, Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky issued a statement calling European security architecture the central topic of the discussions and reported that the parties had reached a mutual understanding on several issues. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing TASS. ### “Treating the Whole”: Russia’s Stance on Post-Conflict Security According to Medinsky, Russia considers it appropriate to raise the question of what will happen to the security system after, as he put it, the “inevitable conclusion of the conflict in Ukraine.” He emphasized that, from the Russian perspective, the world needs a “fair” security system that does not harm any country. “The European security system needs to be ‘treated’ as a whole; a ‘band-aid won't cut it’,” he added, thereby signaling Moscow’s approach regarding the necessity for a comprehensive, rather than piecemeal, revision of European guarantees. ### Refusal of Contact with European Delegations Separately, Medinsky stated that Russian representatives did not interact with Europeans during their work in Abu Dhabi. According to him, “their status here is unclear.” This statement confirms that despite the presence of European countries in the broader context of European security, there was no direct bilateral or multilateral contact between the Russian delegation and European representatives within the framework of these negotiations, according to Moscow. ### A Two-Day Agenda: From Guarantees to Prisoner Swaps According to sources from RBC-Ukraine, the primary topics of the first day of the Abu Dhabi negotiations were future security architecture and security guarantees for Europe, Ukraine, and Russia, as well as the possibility of a large prisoner exchange. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in turn, stated that the second day of negotiations would cover ceasefire, energy security, and the situation in the Black Sea. Thus, the agenda encompassed both military-political and economic-humanitarian aspects of the settlement. ### Significance of the Round and Further Steps The round in Abu Dhabi became another episode of multilateral consultations on European security amid the ongoing conflict. Medinsky’s statement about partial mutual understanding while simultaneously claiming a lack of contact with Europeans indicates that the negotiation format remains predominantly trilateral (Ukraine, USA, Russia), and the role of European delegations within it, according to the Russian side, is undefined. The outcomes and potential next stages of consultations, including discussions on ceasefire and prisoner swaps, will depend on the dynamics of the second and subsequent days of negotiations. ## Fact-Check & Sources - ["Где-то нашли взаимопонимание": Мединский сделал заявление об итогах переговоров в Абу-Даби](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/des-znayshli-porozuminnya-medinskiy-zrobiv-1794396747.html) - Primary source: Medinsky's quotes on security and refusal of contacts with Europeans; topics of the first day based on RBC sources; Zelenskyy's statement on the second day. - ["Обменялись позициями": путинский переговорщик сделал заявление после встречи в Абу-Даби](https://www.obozrevatel.com/section-politics-news/news-obminyalysya-pozytsiyamy-putinskyy-peremovnyk-zrobyv-zayavu-pislya-zustrichi-v-abu-dabi-11-11-2026.html) - Confirms the participation of Ukrainian, American, and Russian delegations in the November 10–11 talks in Abu Dhabi and the exchange of positions on various issues. ## FAQ ### Who participated in the Abu Dhabi talks? Sources state that Ukrainian, American, and Russian delegations participated in the November 10–11, 2026, talks. Medinsky claimed Russian representatives did not interact with Europeans. ### What topics were discussed? The first day focused on future architecture and security guarantees for Europe, Ukraine, and Russia, along with a possible major prisoner exchange. The second day, per Zelenskyy, included ceasefire, energy security, and the Black Sea situation. ### Did the parties reach a mutual understanding? Medinsky stated that an understanding was reached on some issues, though according to Obozrevatel, mutual understanding was not reached on all points—the parties exchanged positions.