Ukraine's Head of Presidential Office to lead delegation in talks with Russia in Abu Dhabi - CBS
Photo: Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Head of the Office of the President, Kyrylo Budanov, will lead the Ukrainian delegation at a trilateral meeting with the US and Russia in Abu Dhabi, states Budanov in an interview with CBS News.
Budanov to lead the negotiations
Kyrylo Budanov told a CBS News reporter that he will head the Ukrainian delegation in Abu Dhabi for peace talks next week, just as he did in February during the initial discussions.
The outlet notes that Budanov does not anticipate a breakthrough. However, he considers the mere fact that the Russian and Ukrainian delegations have agreed to meet face-to-face in the same room as a sign of some progress.
"I will repeat once again, these negotiations are not the last. They're not the final. All we will talk about is the coming readiness to end the ongoing war. What will we achieve? I will refrain from answering," Budanov clarified.
Budanov's military background
According to the outlet, Budanov is not a conventional Ukrainian politician, but rather a figure with extensive military experience in Russia's war against Ukraine dating back to 2014.
CBS News reports that, in Budanov's view, the military background of Ukrainian and Russian personnel could facilitate progress in these talks, particularly concerning the technical aspects of what a potential ceasefire might entail.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held discussions with US special representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The primary focus was on preparing for the upcoming negotiations in Abu Dhabi.
Zelenskyy previously emphasized the necessity of discussing security guarantees during the forthcoming peace talks in Abu Dhabi on November 10-11.
Among other critical issues are the cessation of strikes on energy infrastructure, the unblocking of the "grain corridor," prisoner-of-war exchanges, and a potential meeting between the countries' leaders.
It has also been confirmed that the Kremlin acknowledges Russia's participation in the Abu Dhabi peace talks.
