Trilateral talks between Russia, the United States and Ukraine have kicked off in Abu Dhabi. The meeting is closed to the press.
Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky heads the Russian delegation, while Foreign Intelligence Service chief Rustem Umerov leads the Ukrainian one.
The Russian negotiating team members include Deputy Foreign Ministers Mikhail Galuzin and Sergey Ryabkov, head of the Department of Operational Information of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) and International Relations Alexey Komkov and head of the Main Directorate of the Russian Army General Staff Igor Kostyukov.
Apart from Umerov, the Ukrainian delegation also reportedly includes Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff Kyrylo Budanov (listed as a terrorist and extremist in Russia), his deputy Sergiy Kyslytsya, the parliamentary faction leader of Zelenskyy’s Servant of the People party Davyd Arakhamia, and Chief of General Staff Andriy Hnatov.
The talks will focus on key aspects of establishing a new system of continental security in the post-conflict period. Participants will work on mechanisms to prevent threats and strengthen regional stability. A settlement in Ukraine, while critically important, is only one item on the agenda of this wide-ranging discussion.
