Russia Names Military Intelligence Chief in Delegation for Abu Dhabi Ukraine Peace Talks

Russia has named a senior delegation, including its military intelligence chief, for the next round of talks with the United States and Ukraine on ending the war in Ukraine. The meeting is scheduled for November 10 and 11 in Abu Dhabi and will be mediated by Washington.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the make-up of the Russian team to the Interfax news agency on Saturday. Presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky will lead the delegation, joined by Deputy Foreign Ministers Sergei Ryabkov and Mikhail Galuzin. The team will also include Igor Kostyukov, chief of Russia’s military intelligence agency, and Yuri Zhigarlovsky, a senior officer of the General Staff.

The talks will bring together representatives of Russia, Ukraine and the United States for the first time since earlier rounds in Abu Dhabi at the start of the year. Officials are expected to discuss post-war security arrangements, steps to reduce fighting, humanitarian issues and the next stages of a possible settlement.

FAKTA

• What: Trilateral talks between Russia, the United States and Ukraine on the war in Ukraine
• When: November 10-11, 2026
• Where: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
• Russian delegation: Led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky; includes Deputy Foreign Ministers Sergei Ryabkov and Mikhail Galuzin, military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov and General Staff officer Yuri Zhigarlovsky
• Mediator: The United States, represented by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff
• Agenda: Security arrangements, de-escalation, humanitarian issues, next steps

A Delegation Built for Security Talks

The inclusion of Kostyukov, who heads the Main Directorate of the General Staff, known as the GRU, underlines the weight Moscow is placing on the security side of the discussions. He previously led the Russian group at two rounds of United States-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi earlier this year, focused on military logistics and prisoner exchanges.

Medinsky brings negotiating experience from earlier rounds of direct talks with Ukraine, signalling that the agenda is expected to go beyond military matters and touch on the wider political questions of a settlement. Ryabkov and Galuzin add senior diplomatic experience, while Zhigarlovsky, a deputy chief of the General Staff’s Main Operations Directorate, brings operational military expertise.

Putin Confirms the Dates

Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed the dates on Friday at a meeting with permanent members of Russia’s Security Council, also attended by members of the delegation. He said the talks would begin on Tuesday, November 10, and last two days.

United States Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, who first announced the planned talks, has said the discussions will focus on post-war security arrangements, de-escalation, humanitarian efforts and further steps towards a peaceful settlement. The United States is acting as mediator.

Ukraine will also send a delegation to Abu Dhabi. No breakthrough has been announced in advance, and officials on all sides have avoided setting public expectations. The meeting nevertheless marks the latest attempt to find a diplomatic path out of a war that has now lasted well over four years, with earlier rounds producing limited progress on the central questions.

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