Russia will send a higher-level delegation to the upcoming talks with the US and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi, scheduled for November 10 and 11. The team will be headed by presidential adviser Vladimir Medinsky and will include two deputy foreign ministers, the head of Russian military intelligence and a senior General Staff officer.
The composition was announced by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. The delegation will include Sergey Ryabkov, who is responsible for Russia’s relations with the US and arms control, Mikhail Galuzin, military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov and Yuri Zhigarlovsky, deputy head of the Main Operational Directorate of the Russian General Staff.
Ryabkov will participate in this format for the first time. Medinsky, Galuzin and Kostyukov have already taken part in previous rounds of talks. According to Bloomberg, the inclusion of diplomats working on relations with the US and arms control, as well as representatives of the military leadership, could mean that Moscow is ready to discuss political and military issues simultaneously.
Preparing for the meeting
President Vladimir Putin discussed preparations for the talks with members of Russia’s Security Council on November 6. All announced members of the delegation took part in the meeting. According to the Turkish Anadolu Agency, Putin thanked the leadership of the United Arab Emirates for its support for efforts to resolve the war and for its assistance on humanitarian issues.
The talks in Abu Dhabi will be the first trilateral round between the US, Russia and Ukraine since February. Two rounds were held in Abu Dhabi in January and February, while subsequent talks in February took place in Geneva. The main unresolved issues remain the territorial dispute and future security guarantees for Ukraine.
Ukraine’s position
The Ukrainian delegation will be headed by Rustem Umerov, head of the Foreign Intelligence Service. The delegation will also include presidential office head Kyrylo Budanov and David Arakhamia, leader of the parliamentary group of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s party.
Preparations for the meeting are taking place against the backdrop of new Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure. The Associated Press reported that at least nine people were injured in the attacks in Ukraine. Zelensky said: “It is not easy, but we must return to the diplomatic path and move toward ending the war. Ukraine is doing everything possible to achieve peace.”
Sources: bloomberg.com, kyivindependent.com, apnews.com