Russia Adds Diplomats and Senior Military Officers to Delegation for Talks with U.S. and Ukraine
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says Russia's delegation for three-way talks in Abu Dhabi will include Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and General Staff officer Yury Zhigarlovsky. The talks on ending the war in Ukraine are set for Tuesday and Wednesday.
Russia's team for next week's talks with the United States and Ukraine will include senior military officers and diplomats, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Interfax news agency. The three-way meeting in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates, is intended to discuss ending Russia's war against Ukraine. It is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday and will be the first talks in this format since February.
Who is in the delegation
Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky will again lead the delegation as chief negotiator. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov joins for the first time; he oversees Russia's relations with North and South America and is responsible for arms control, non-proliferation and issues linked to Iran's nuclear programme.
Also taking part for the first time is Yury Zhigarlovsky, a deputy chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff, the body in charge of military planning and operations. Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin and Igor Kostyukov, head of Russia's military intelligence, who have been part of earlier missions, are also on the team.
Meeting with Putin
On Friday, all delegation members met Russian President Vladimir Putin at a Security Council session partly devoted to the upcoming talks. In the televised portion, Putin thanked the United Arab Emirates for hosting the negotiations and said he wanted to discuss preparations with the Russian team. Most of the meeting was held behind closed doors, and the Kremlin showed only the opening minutes, as is customary for such gatherings.
Background
U.S. negotiators have been seeking a breakthrough in the long-running conflict before winter sets in. The most recent U.S.-mediated peace talks took place in February, before the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran.
