Next round of Ukraine talks depends on Middle East, other factors, Kremlin aide says

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov stated that the timing of the next round of three-way talks on a settlement of the Ukraine conflict is linked to the Middle East conflict, casting doubt on whether talks will take place next month as proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Ushakov cited the situation on the battlefield and the regional fallout from the US-Israeli war on Iran as factors.

Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said the timing of the next round of three-way talks on a settlement of the Ukraine conflict is linked to the conflict in the Middle East, casting doubt on whether the talks will take place next month as initially proposed. Ushakov, quoted by Russian news agencies, said Moscow had not yet proposed a specific date for the talks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday he hoped that a meeting would take place in Abu Dhabi between November 6 and November 10. Ushakov told journalists that the timing would depend on the situation on the battlefield and the situation in general, referring to the regional fallout from the US-Israeli war on Iran. He also said there had been no discussion of having European negotiators in attendance at the next round of talks, despite leaders of Britain, Germany and France saying last weekend that Europe would play a role in US-mediated talks.