Russia remains in the preparatory stage of negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Wednesday, cautioning that discussions about a possible meeting in Abu Dhabi were premature.
Source: Anadolu Agency via EuropeSays
Speaking on the sidelines of the third Russia-Africa forum in Moscow, Ryabkov said diplomatic efforts had yet to move beyond preliminary preparations. “By and large, we are still in the preparation phase,” he said.
Ryabkov said Moscow hoped intensive diplomatic engagement with US President Donald Trump's administration would help lay the groundwork for a lasting settlement. He stressed that, in Moscow's framing, any agreement would need to address what Russia considers the root causes of the conflict, including its security concerns and issues involving Russian-speaking populations and the Russian Orthodox Church — positions Kyiv and its partners have repeatedly disputed.
A contrast with Kyiv and Washington
Ryabkov's caution contrasts with the picture given by Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had said partners who spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin indicated Russia seemed serious about a planned November meeting of negotiating teams in Abu Dhabi, with initial de-escalation steps and security questions on the agenda.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk was reported by The Guardian as telling his cabinet that preliminary ceasefire discussions between Ukraine, the United States and Russia were pencilled in for November 4 in Abu Dhabi. Neither Russia, the US nor Ukraine has confirmed that date, and Ryabkov's remarks suggest Moscow is not ready to treat it as set.
Trump, for his part, told reporters on Wednesday that a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy would be set up “very soon” and that a lot of progress could be made, according to AFP reporting. The Kremlin has previously set conditions for any leaders' meeting, and no date or venue has been announced.
No US shift expected, Moscow says
Ryabkov also downplayed the possibility of a significant shift in Washington's approach after the upcoming US congressional elections, arguing that an anti-Russian consensus had become entrenched across American political parties. He acknowledged, however, that some Americans supported peaceful relations and greater cooperation with Russia.
Separately, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov has said Europe will not take part in the first round of the resumed trilateral format — a point Ukraine has pushed back on, insisting Europe should be part of the process. With the battlefield fighting continuing and even the format and date of the next talks unsettled, Ryabkov's statement is the clearest signal yet from Moscow that an Abu Dhabi breakthrough should not be expected on a fixed timetable.