Budanov to join Ukrainian delegation in Abu Dhabi but not lead it – Presidential Adviser
Presidential Communications Adviser Dmytro Lytvyn said that reports about changes in the leadership of the negotiating group were the result of a slip of the tongue. Head of the Presidential Office Kyrylo Budanov will join the delegation but will not lead it.
Ukrainian President's communications adviser Dmytro Lytvyn has dismissed claims that Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the President's Office of Ukraine, would lead the Ukrainian delegation at upcoming talks with the U.S. and Russia in Abu Dhabi. Lytvyn clarified that Budanov will participate in the delegation but will not hold the leading role.
Both Lytvyn and Budanov emphasized that the delegation members are currently preparing for the talks, with no significant progress expected from the meetings. They agreed that the purpose of the talks is to establish conditions for ending the ongoing war, covering topics such as energy ceasefire, Black Sea safety, humanitarian issues, and prisoner exchanges.
The Russian delegation will be headed by Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to Vladimir Putin. During a previous trilateral meeting in Abu Dhabi in January and February 2026, the Ukrainian delegation was led by Rustem Umerov, the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine.
Written by urgent.news from Interfax-Ukraine's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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