--- title: "\"Purely a Russian special operation\": Estonia assesses the significance of the Abu Dhabi talks" description: "Marko Mihkelson, head of the Estonian parliamentary foreign affairs committee, described the Abu Dhabi talks as a Russian diplomatic special operation, noting that the only realistic outcome is a prisoner swap." date: 2026-11-11T12:30:44.485Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/mihkelson-abu-dhabi-russian-operation tags: [abu-dhabi-talks, ukraine-russia, estonia, european-security, marko-mikkelson, peace-negotiations] author: "Alexander Buran" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # "Purely a Russian special operation": Estonia assesses the significance of the Abu Dhabi talks ![International delegation at a round table in Abu Dhabi, negotiations regarding Ukraine.](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/11/mikkelson-abu-dabi-spetsoperatsiya-rf/mikkelson-abu-dabi-spetsoperatsiya-rf-1.webp) ## Key Points - Marko Mihkelson labeled the Abu Dhabi talks a "purely Russian diplomatic special operation" to raise the stakes in the war. - He believes the best-case scenario for the current round is the return of some Ukrainian prisoners of war. - The politician urged Europe to focus on practical aid for Kyiv, calling the Ukrainian army the "best negotiator." - Discussions continue in Europe regarding who will represent the continent in negotiations with Russia. The Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu (Estonian Parliament), Marko Mihkelson, has stated that the diplomatic process in Abu Dhabi should not be viewed as peace negotiations, but rather as a Russian "diplomatic special operation" aimed at raising the stakes in the war and attempting to redesign European security architecture. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing the Estonian television channel ERR. According to the politician's assessment, Moscow is not interested in ending the conflict, but is using the negotiation format to achieve its own objectives. ### "24 hours" versus 24 months Mihkelson linked the start of diplomatic activity to Donald Trump coming to power in the USA. "I believe this is a purely Russian diplomatic special operation. Russia started it immediately after Donald Trump became US President and promised to end the war in 24 hours. Soon, 24 months will have passed, and Russia is constantly raising the stakes," he stated. Thus, according to him, the promised quick end to the war did not happen, and the negotiation process has turned into a tool for stalling and renegotiating terms. ### Prisoner exchange — the best scenario of the round Mihkelson called the return of some Ukrainian prisoners of war the best possible outcome of the current round in Abu Dhabi. At the same time, he warned against making concessions to Moscow on issues of European security in exchange for promises of a stable peace, emphasizing that such guarantees should not come at the cost of weakening Europe's defensive positions. ### "The best negotiator is the Ukrainian army" The politician urged European partners to focus on practical assistance to Kyiv rather than internal disputes over who will represent Europe at the negotiating table. "The best representative of Europe, the best negotiator, is the Ukrainian army," he declared. Among his priorities, he listed helping Ukraine survive a difficult winter, strengthening air defense, providing funds for continued resistance, and covering the budget deficit caused by military spending. Mihkelson also advocated for increasing pressure on Russia and using frozen Russian assets, believing that a readiness to resist aggression is what strengthens Europe's position. ### Who will speak for Europe Mihkelson's statement came against the backdrop of a discussion in Brussels regarding Europe's representation at peace talks. Previously, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that European countries need to decide on their representative in November. Earlier, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called on the EU to choose a candidate. Notably, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre held a telephone contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin — the first such contact, though the leaders spoke not on behalf of Europe, but as heads of states neighboring the Russian Federation. ### Context: the trilateral round in Abu Dhabi On November 10–11, trilateral negotiations in the Ukraine-USA-Russia format are taking place in Abu Dhabi. European representatives are present in the Emirates but have not yet been involved in the negotiation process itself; previously, the USA and Ukraine held a separate meeting with the Europeans and informed partners about the progress of the talks. Reportedly, the first day of the meeting lasted about four and a half hours with dozens of delegation members participating. Against this backdrop, Mihkelson's assessment serves as a warning: without real military and economic support for Kyiv, the diplomatic track, in his opinion, is incapable of yielding anything other than selective results such as prisoner exchanges. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Переговоры в Абу-Даби - спецоперация РФ: в Эстонии оценили дипломатические маневры Москвы](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/peregovori-abu-dabi-e-spetsoperatsieyu-rf-1794393780.html) - Original source: Mihkelson quotes, context on the Nov 10-11 round, positions of Zelenskyy, Meloni, Stubb, and Støre. - [«С россиянами сложно»: Киев и Вашингтон оценили итоги первого дня встречи в Абу-Даби](https://www.trud.ru/article/10-11-2026/1852451_s_rossijanami_slozhno_kiev_i_vashington_otsenili_itogi_pervogo_dnja_vstrechi_v_abu-dabi.html) - Confirms the trilateral negotiations on Nov 10-11, 2026, and the duration of the first day (~4.5 hours); part of the source text is corrupted by encoding. - [В Абу-Даби завершились переговоры в формате Украина – США – РФ. 1443-й день полномасштабной войны](https://www.rfi.fr/ru/%D1%83%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0/20260205-%D0%B2%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B9-%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%8C-%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%85%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%85-%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2-%D0%B2-%D1%84%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BC%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B5-%D1%83%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0-%E2%80%93-%D1%81%D1%88%D0%B0-%E2%80%93-%D1%80%D1%84-%D0%B2-%D0%B0%D0%B1%D1%83-%D0%B4%D0%B0%D0%B1%D0%B8-1443-%D0%B9-%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%8C-%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%BC%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%88%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%B1%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B9-%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B9%D0%BD%D1%8B) - Refers to an earlier round (February 2026), not the current Nov 10-11, 2026 talks; used only to confirm negotiation format. - [Политолог ответил, разрешат ли украинский кризис переговоры в Абу-Даби](https://news.mail.ru/politics/72833271/) - Fragment does not correspond to the topic (mention of APEC summit in Guangdong); not used for facts. ## FAQ ### Who assessed the Russia "special operation" in Abu Dhabi? This is a statement by the head of the Riigikogu Foreign Affairs Committee, Marko Mihkelson, reported by RBC-Ukraine citing ERR. ### What does Mihkelson consider the best result of the Abu Dhabi round? The return of some Ukrainian prisoners of war. ### Are Europeans involved in the Abu Dhabi talks? European representatives are present in the Emirates but are not yet involved in the negotiation process; they are kept informed of the progress. ### When did the described round of negotiations take place? November 10–11, 2026, in the Ukraine-USA-Russia format.