Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Oct. 25 that Russia would be ready to restart three-way negotiations with Ukraine and the United States after Nov. 4, while no meeting date has been confirmed.
Ushakov gave the date in an Oct. 25 interview with Vesti journalist Pavel Zarubin. Vesti's official channel separately named Abu Dhabi as a possible venue for a round around mid-November. EconoTimes previously reported the Kremlin's plan for an Abu Dhabi meeting, which had been described as falling in early November.
Ukraine and Russia have both pointed to November's first half, although their statements describe the meeting differently. Zelenskyy said Oct. 23 that negotiators were expected to meet before midmonth, and that Kyiv could make any date work. Interfax-Ukraine reported that Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the proposed Abu Dhabi talks would be trilateral and fall within that same period.
Ushakov said the first session was unlikely to settle much and would probably be exploratory; he added that work toward a peace agreement remained. TASS reported that Ushakov had identified post-conflict security arrangements for Russia and Ukraine as a main topic after President Vladimir Putin's Oct. 21 meeting with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff. TASS also reported that Ushakov had given a mid-November readiness estimate on Oct. 21, four days before his latest statement. His remarks set out an agenda and a readiness date, rather than a peace deal or a confirmed meeting.
The two sides also gave different accounts of why an earlier round did not happen. Zelenskyy said an expected October meeting fell through after Moscow put forward another reason to avoid talks. Interfax reported Ushakov blamed Kyiv for disrupting a previous plan to restart negotiations after Russia's Sept. 18-20 State Duma elections.
The public statements leave the first half of November as the next window, while Moscow's stated readiness begins after Nov. 4. No specific date has been announced.
