Negotiations between Ukraine and Russia mediated by the United States, held on November 10–11 in Abu Dhabi, brought the sides closer to a possible peaceful settlement. This assessment was expressed by aide to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, head of the Russian delegation Vladimir Medinsky.
He said this on November 11 in a conversation with journalist Yevgeny Popov, reports the Russian news service Vesti.
Answering a question whether Russia and Ukraine became closer to concluding a peace agreement after two days of consultations in the United Arab Emirates, Medinsky gave a positive assessment of the results of the meeting.
"It seems to me, yes. But now a lot depends on all participants in the process," — said the Kremlin representative.
According to him, further progress of negotiations depends primarily on the positions of Ukraine and the United States. Separately, Medinsky mentioned European countries, saying that much will depend on whether "Europe will come to its senses."
At the same time, the head of the Russian delegation did not name specific deadlines for reaching a peace agreement and did not report on the coordination of conditions for cessation of hostilities.
Earlier, speaking to journalists after the meeting, Medinsky admitted that the negotiation participants managed to find mutual understanding only on certain issues, while differences on other issues remained. He emphasized that discussions would be continued.
According to the Russian representative, the central theme of the talks was the formation of a new architecture of European security. Moscow again raised the issue of revising the current security system in Europe, which the Russian authorities repeatedly put forward in previous years.
Medinsky also refused to disclose details of the political part of the consultations, explaining this by the absence of final agreements between participants.
One of the few concrete results of the meeting was a fundamental agreement between Ukraine and Russia on a new large-scale prisoner exchange. Medinsky said that its parameters will be announced later.
The reached agreement was confirmed by the head of the Ukrainian negotiating delegation Rustem Umerov and US representative Jared Kushner. According to the American negotiator, the exact number of people to be released is to be agreed upon on November 12.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky previously reported that during the consultations options for an exchange under the formula "1000 for 1000" or "1500 for 1500" were discussed. Final numbers have not yet been approved.
Meanwhile, RBC-Ukraine, citing representatives of the Ukrainian delegation, reports that the talks took place in a difficult environment.
Head of the parliamentary faction "Servant of the People" David Arakhamia called the held round one of the most difficult. According to him, representatives of Russia arrived with rigid directives, which practically did not provide room for compromise.
Among the main unresolved issues remains the territorial one. American representative Jared Kushner admitted that territorial differences represent the most serious obstacle to reaching agreements.
At the same time, the Ukrainian delegation reported progress in discussing future security guarantees. However, the concrete content of possible agreements is not publicly disclosed.
Separate disagreements remain also regarding the participation of European states in the negotiation process. The Russian delegation did not hold direct consultations with European representatives in Abu Dhabi. Ukraine, on the contrary, organized a separate meeting with them after the completion of the trilateral round.
The next stage of diplomatic contacts should be meetings of American representatives with the leadership of Russia and Ukraine. Kushner said that on November 12, together with Steve Witkoff, he intends to go to Moscow for talks with Putin, after which a meeting with Zelensky in Dublin is planned.
According to Arakhamia, after these contacts the parties will be able to determine the date of the next round of negotiations. The Ukrainian representative expressed hope for finding a solution by the end of the year, but emphasized that no one can guarantee such a result.
Thus, despite Medinsky's optimistic assessment, the talks in Abu Dhabi ended without an agreement on a ceasefire or a final settlement of the war. The main confirmed result was an agreement on the preparation of prisoner exchange, while territorial issues and conditions of future security remain subjects for further consultations.
