Putin sends hardline negotiator to Ukraine talks in Abu Dhabi, ISW says

Russia is sending Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov to trilateral talks with Ukraine and the US in Abu Dhabi on November 10-11, a diplomat known for issuing hardline ultimatums to NATO in 2021, according to the Institute for the Study of War. Ukraine's delegation will be led by Foreign Intelligence Service chief Rustem Umerov, joined by presidential advisor Dmytro Lytvyn, Office head Kyrylo Budanov, and deputy Serhiy Kyslytsia. Russia's team includes Vladimir Medinsky, Yuri Ushakov, Admiral Igor Kostyukov, and deputy ministers Mikhail Galuzin and Ryabkov. ISW analysts say the composition, featuring officials who previously stalled dialogue, indicates the Kremlin remains uninterested in genuine negotiations. Ryabkov's inclusion is seen as an attempt to shift focus from Ukraine's security guarantee efforts, as he continues to insist only solutions matching Putin's military goals are acceptable.