The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has made an ambiguous statement regarding the prospects of trilateral peace negotiations on Ukraine. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, whose words were cited by TASS and reported by RBC-Ukraine, called talks about holding the meeting specifically in Abu Dhabi 'premature'. According to him, no final decision on the venue for contacts has been made yet, although this option was indeed discussed. Thus, the Russian side effectively did not confirm the venue that it had previously considered as a possibility.

'Preparation Stage': Ryabkov's Position

'It is still premature to talk about negotiations in Abu Dhabi. Of course, there is a preliminary understanding that such a contact will take place in the near future, and Abu Dhabi was also mentioned as its venue — all this is true. But overall, we are still at the preparation stage,' Ryabkov stated. At the same time, the diplomat did not announce the cancellation of the negotiations and emphasized that a 'close and intensive dialogue' is underway with the administration of US President Donald Trump. Moscow, according to him, relies on Washington's efforts to achieve 'a sustainable settlement in Ukraine taking into account the causes of the conflict'.

Synchronous Statements by Ushakov and Peskov

Almost in unison with the Deputy Foreign Minister, Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov and Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov spoke out. Ushakov stated that 'the date of the trilateral negotiations in Abu Dhabi will be announced soon', while not confirming the previously voiced version of November 10. Peskov added that the Kremlin will report on the date when it becomes known and described the meeting format as 'trilateral negotiations on Ukraine in Abu Dhabi between representatives of Moscow, Washington, and Kyiv'. Separately, Ushakov emphasized that European countries are not going to be invited to the negotiating table on Ukraine.

Discrepancy in Dates: November 4 or November 10

Against this background, contradictory timelines remain in the public field. Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that negotiations between Ukraine, the US, and Russia on ending the war could take place on November 10, and stated that Kyiv would like to hold a meeting with the American and Russian teams in Abu Dhabi before joint talks between the US, China, and Russia. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, on the contrary, believed that the peace talks in Abu Dhabi would take place on November 4. Russian representatives have not directly confirmed either of these dates.

Context: Dialogue with Washington and Europe's Role

A key element of Ryabkov's statement was the indication of intensive contact with the US administration. This confirms that the working track for settlement runs predominantly between Moscow and Washington, while Kyiv and Abu Dhabi figure as potential participants and a venue. At the same time, the position on not including Europe in the 'trilateral' format once again fixes the Kremlin's line on the bilateral nature of key agreements involving the US and Ukraine.

What This Means

Taken together, the statements of the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Kremlin indicate that the format and timing of contacts remain unfixed: the Abu Dhabi venue is not finally confirmed, and the date, according to Ushakov and Peskov, will be announced separately. For observers, this means the persistence of uncertainty in the coming days and a high probability of adjusting public benchmarks as the 'preparation stage' concludes.