Russia Sees Progress Toward Ukraine Peace Deal After Abu Dhabi Talks

(MENAFN) Russia and Ukraine have made progress toward a potential peace agreement following recent trilateral negotiations in Abu Dhabi, Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky said, while emphasizing that the outcome would largely depend on Kyiv and Washington.

Medinsky, who headed the Russian delegation during the discussions, expressed optimism about the direction of the negotiations, suggesting that the two sides had moved closer to ending the conflict.

“I believe so. I believe so, but right now, a great deal depends on all the participants in the process. Much depends on Ukraine and on the position of the United States,” he said in remarks to a Russian news outlet.

However, Medinsky stressed that Moscow would regard the diplomatic process as successful only if Russia secured victory and a final agreement reflected its conditions.

He also dismissed the prospect of territorial swaps between the two countries, arguing that the security zone along Russia's borders was continuing to expand as part of Moscow's ongoing "special military operation" in Ukraine.

In separate remarks, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov characterized the Abu Dhabi discussions as "substantive" and "quite useful," indicating that the negotiations had addressed significant issues.

Ushakov also informed reporters that Russian President Vladimir Putin was expected to hold a meeting with US presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner during the first half of Thursday. The planned encounter follows two days of US-mediated negotiations aimed at finding a diplomatic resolution to the war.

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