Russia's Abu Dhabi Talks Push Territorial Claims Beyond Donbas, ISW Says

Russia is pursuing territorial ambitions beyond Donbas and refuses to abandon maximalist demands, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), which said Moscow used Abu Dhabi talks to push a distorted picture of battlefield successes. On November 11, Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky stated Moscow intends to seize all territories it claims as its own, rejecting any land swaps with Ukraine. ISW analysts said this demonstrates Kremlin ambitions beyond five illegally annexed regions and unwillingness to compromise. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reaffirmed adherence to Putin's June 2024 demands, including Ukrainian troop withdrawals from four regions and "demilitarization." Russian officials have repeatedly made false claims about territorial gains, including unverified captures of cities still under Ukrainian control.