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Russian Diplomats and Military Officials to Join Talks with U.S. and Ukraine, Kremlin Says
Russia is sending a delegation including senior military officials and diplomats to next week’s talks with the United States and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi. The meeting, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, is intended to discuss ending the war and will be the first trilateral talks since February.
Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky will again lead Russia’s delegation, which will include Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov for the first time, as well as General Staff officer Yury Zhigarlovsky. Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin and military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov are also expected to attend. President Vladimir Putin met the delegation on Friday and thanked the United Arab Emirates for hosting; the previous US-mediated peace talks took place in February.
In short
- Russia’s delegation will include senior military officials and diplomats.
- Sergei Ryabkov is joining the talks for the first time.
- The Abu Dhabi meeting is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday.
Explained simply
Russia’s war in Ukraine began in 2014 and escalated into a full-scale invasion in 2022. Since then, fighting and diplomatic efforts have continued alongside one another, with the United States playing a role in mediating contacts between the two countries.
Russia’s delegation is led by Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky, while the United States and Ukraine will also send representatives. Russian diplomats handle foreign relations, and military officials advise on defence and operations, so their presence reflects the range of issues that may arise in talks about ending the war.
The United Arab Emirates is hosting the meeting in Abu Dhabi. Any agreement would involve questions about the future of territory, security and relations between Russia and Ukraine, which have wider implications for the region.