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What has Russia’s chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky been up to since the last round of peace talks? Rewriting history textbooks, praising Soviet censorship, and vacationing at a luxury resort.
Vladimir Medinsky, a presidential aide who led Russia’s delegation at renewed talks with Ukraine and the United States in Abu Dhabi, has spent the intervening months on projects shaping public accounts of Russian history and society. His activities matter because he combines a prominent role in negotiations with influence over official education and cultural institutions.
A revised school history textbook co-authored by Medinsky presents the Trump administration’s role in ending the war positively, while he has defended aspects of Soviet film censorship and written plays about Russian history. The EU added him to its 21st sanctions package in July, and in October he was re-elected to lead the Russian Military Historical Society for six years. He also attends the society’s annual conference at a luxury Altai resort, where the article says Kremlin staff accommodation is paid for by the Presidential Property Management Department.
In short
- Medinsky returned to lead Russia’s delegation at peace talks.
- He has helped revise history textbooks and written historical plays.
- He was sanctioned by the EU and re-elected to head RVIO.
Explained simply
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to repeated efforts to negotiate an end to the fighting. Vladimir Medinsky is a senior aide to President Vladimir Putin who has represented Russia in talks with Ukraine and the United States.
Medinsky also works on how Russian history and society are presented. He has co-authored school textbooks, written plays about Russian history and led the Russian Military Historical Society, which promotes the study of the country’s past.
His roles bring together diplomacy and public education, areas that shape how the war and Russia’s history are understood. The European Union has also placed him under sanctions, measures that restrict dealings with people it considers responsible for actions linked to the war.