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

Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov has indicated that the timing of the upcoming three-way talks on resolving the Ukraine conflict is contingent upon the situation in the Middle East. This revelation casts uncertainty on whether the discussions will proceed as initially planned for next month. Ushakov, speaking to journalists, stated that Moscow has not yet specified a date for the talks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had hoped for a meeting between November 6 and November 10 in Abu Dhabi. Ushakov's comments suggest that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, particularly the US-Israeli war on Iran, is impacting the prospects for the talks to occur in the near future. Furthermore, Ushakov emphasized that European negotiators, namely from Britain, Germany, and France, are not being considered for the next round of discussions.

Despite the US-led efforts to initiate the talks, European countries, who are Ukraine's closest allies and key military supporters, have been largely excluded from the process. Ushakov confirmed that no talks were discussed regarding the participation of European countries during the recent phone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the leaders of Finland and Norway.