Kremlin Aide Says Ukraine Talks Timing May Depend on Middle East, Battlefield

MOSCOW — The timing of the next round of three-way talks on a settlement of the Ukraine conflict appears tied to the conflict in the Middle East, Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said, 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 that he hoped a meeting would take place in Abu Dhabi between November 6 and November 10.

“It will also depend on the situation on the battlefield and the situation in general. You can see the situation now in the Middle East. It just doesn’t allow us to hold it in the near future. That’s my assumption,” Ushakov told journalists, referring to regional fallout from the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Ushakov also said there had been no discussion of including European negotiators in attendance at the next round of talks. The leaders of Britain, Germany and France said last weekend that Europe would play a role in US-mediated talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelensky on securing a ceasefire.

“There is absolutely no talk about this, nothing being considered,” Ushakov was quoted as saying. “What there is now is an agreement on resuming three-sided consultations with representatives of Russia, Ukraine and the United States.”

The United States has led efforts to move forward with talks on finding a solution to the 4-1/2-year-old Ukraine conflict, leaving European countries – Ukraine’s closest allies and biggest military backers – largely on the sidelines.

Ushakov said at the weekend that Europe should be included in discussions, as its position could be crucial.

In comments earlier on Wednesday, Ushakov said the possible participation of European countries in the negotiations was not discussed during Putin’s phone conversation on Tuesday with Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere.

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