On November 10–11, 2026, a new round of trilateral consultations between Russia, the USA, and Ukraine regarding the conflict resolution concluded in Abu Dhabi. The Russian delegation was led by Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky. Following the meeting, he made a statement that immediately became the focus of the information space: commenting on territorial issues, Medinsky stated that "every inch of Russian land will be returned by Russia one way or another." Journalist Konstantin Pridybaylo quoted the head of the Russian delegation directly, and his words were widely circulated in media outlets on both sides of the conflict.
The territorial issue remains central
The statement came against the backdrop of discussions on the most complex topic of the negotiations — the territorial one. Publicly, the parties do not disclose which territories or under what conditions are being discussed, so the public rhetoric of the delegations serves as one of the few available indicators of their positions. Medinsky’s current statement essentially reinforces Moscow’s red line: Russia, according to him, is not abandoning its claims to all territories it considers its own. This directly contradicts hopes for a compromise at this stage and underscores that the territorial issue remains the most difficult obstacle in the negotiations.
Security guarantees and humanitarian issues
Beyond the territorial agenda, the parties in Abu Dhabi discussed security guarantees and humanitarian issues. According to Medinsky, Russia and the USA managed to find common ground on some points, yet disagreements persist, and the dialogue will continue. Thus, even amid statements about "returning every inch," the Russian delegation acknowledges the existence of work tracks where progress has been made and does not reduce the entire process to the territorial block.
Prisoner exchange without specific figures
A separate result of the meeting was Medinsky’s announcement that Russia and Ukraine had agreed on a new large-scale prisoner exchange. However, the exact number of personnel and the timing of the procedure were not specified at the time of publication. This indicates that while the humanitarian track has been formally activated, its parameters remain closed and will be detailed during future consultations.
Kyiv's position: a "good impulse" before the New Year
The Ukrainian side assesses the results of the round differently: stating that there is a "good impulse to find a solution before the New Year." This phrasing indicates that Kyiv views the recent consultations as a step toward an agreement in a short timeframe, whereas Moscow is publicly cementing its maximalist territorial demands. The difference in rhetoric between the two capitals clearly shows how far the parties are from reaching a mutually acceptable text on the main issue.
What this means for future negotiations
The outcome of the Abu Dhabi round can be characterized as a combination of two trends: on the one hand, working agreements have been recorded on some issues with the USA and on the prisoner exchange format; on the other hand, the territorial block remains frozen due to incompatible public positions. Medinsky’s statement about "every inch of land" and the Ukrainian bet on a solution before the New Year set the framework for the next round: either the parties will find a mechanism for agreement on territories, or the negotiation process risks stalling at this bottleneck. As neither side is revealing details, analysts are left to rely on the delegations' public statements.
