--- title: "Ryabkov assesses NATO's participation in Abu Dhabi talks: \"added a serious measure of professionalism\"" description: "Russian Deputy FM Ryabkov stated that NATO Commander Grinkevich's participation in Abu Dhabi talks added \"professionalism,\" while the Trump team shows \"drive\" in seeking a settlement." date: 2026-11-12T11:16:58.900Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ryabkov-nato-participation-abu-dhabi-talks tags: [russia-ukraine-war, nato, abu-dhabi-talks, sergey-ryabkov, peace-negotiations, trump-administration] author: "Alexander Buran, Andrey Kosynko" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Ryabkov assesses NATO's participation in Abu Dhabi talks: "added a serious measure of professionalism" ![Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov wearing glasses and a business suit during talks.](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/12/ryabkov-uchastie-nato-peregovory-abu-dabi/ryabkov-uchastie-nato-peregovory-abu-dabi-1.webp) ## Key Points - Ryabkov publicly evaluated the participation of NATO Commander Grinkevich in the Abu Dhabi talks as a positive factor that added "professionalism." - The Russian Deputy FM noted a "drive" from the Trump team in finding a resolution. - Ryabkov named political will as the key condition for achieving practical results without uncontrolled escalation. - Finnish President Stubb announced a new stage of peace negotiations following the Abu Dhabi round. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has publicly stated that the presence of a NATO representative at the trilateral peace talks in Abu Dhabi, held on November 10–11, 2026, had a positive impact on the course of the discussions. According to the Russian diplomat, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO, Alexus Grinkevich, "added a serious measure of professionalism from the West to the discussions." The statement came against the backdrop of growing international interest in attempts to resolve the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and became one of the first public assessments of a negotiation format in which the alliance's military leadership found itself at the same table as the Russian delegation. ### "Super-professional" work of military representatives Ryabkov emphasized that the Russian military representatives who were also present at the Abu Dhabi meeting were "fully in command of all this material and worked in a super-professional manner." Thus, the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister effectively admitted that the format of the negotiations, which included a military component from both sides, allowed for a more substantive level of discussion. The diplomat did not disclose specific topics addressed within the military track, but emphasized that the professional level of the discussion was sufficient to form working approaches. ### The "drive" of the American side Separately, Ryabkov focused on the role of President Donald Trump's team in finding ways to end the war. "It is impossible to deny the presence of drive on the part of the US in searching for solutions to the Ukrainian settlement," the Russian diplomat stated. According to him, the American side is demonstrating an active stance in developing practical proposals. Earlier, US Presidential Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, who also participated in the Abu Dhabi talks, publicly announced that peace was nearing, which, according to Ryabkov's assessment, confirms the existence of political momentum in the process. ### The condition: "political will" and no illusions Summarizing the results of the two-day meeting, Ryabkov formulated the condition under which, in his view, practical results can be achieved: "To build something that would be functional, to be without illusions regarding what can be achieved, and at the same time to avoid uncontrolled escalation, taking into account yesterday's and the day before yesterday's discussions, I think, given the proper political will, it is possible." The diplomat thus outlined three key parameters: the functionality of the agreements, a sober assessment of realities, and the inadmissibility of an uncontrolled escalation scenario. ### Context: a new stage of negotiations The trilateral meeting in the Russia-Ukraine-USA format took place in Abu Dhabi on November 10–11, 2026; Sergey Ryabkov was a member of the Russian negotiating team. In parallel with his assessments, Finnish President Alexander Stubb announced a new stage of peace talks to end the war, which indicates the parties' intention to continue the negotiation process in an expanded or modified format. Thus, the Abu Dhabi round, judging by the public statements of all three parties, was regarded as a working, not a formal one, and laid the foundation for subsequent contacts. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [У Путина неожиданно поддержали участие НАТО в переговорах по Украине](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/putina-neochikuvano-pidtrimali-uchast-nato-1794478893.html) - Direct quotes from Ryabkov attributed to the named Russian Deputy Foreign Minister. Reported via RT. The fact of the November 10-11, 2026, talks in Abu Dhabi is confirmed in the text. Disclaimer: single-source chain, there is no independent confirmation of the quotes in the materials provided. ## FAQ ### Which NATO representative participated in the Abu Dhabi talks? According to Sergey Ryabkov, the meeting was attended by the Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO, Alexus Grinkevich. ### When and in what format were the negotiations held? The trilateral meeting in the Russia-Ukraine-USA format was held on November 10–11, 2026, in Abu Dhabi. The Russian delegation included Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov. ### What conditions did Ryabkov name as necessary for practical results? Ryabkov pointed to three parameters: the functionality of agreements, the absence of illusions regarding what is achievable, and the inadmissibility of uncontrolled escalation. He named political will as the key condition.