"Regarding the chief negotiator representing the Russian side in this process, I remind you of the president’s statement: my colleague Medinsky remains in that role," he told Russian state propaganda wire Interfax.
Peskov confirmed that the discussions are slated to take place on Nov. 10–11 in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, corroborating dates previously outlined by U.S. Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff.
On Oct. 28, Kremlin foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov stated that preliminary consultations among Ukraine, the United States, and Russia regarding potential trilateral negotiations will unfold after Nov. 4, adding that their final shape would depend directly on frontline battlefield dynamics and the "general operational environment."
Prior to that announcement, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that a meeting could take place on Nov. 10. Ukraine has sought to convene trilateral consultations prior to a prospective high-level encounter among the United States, China, and Russia on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Shenzhen.
Zelenskyy also indicated that Ukraine favors European participation at the Abu Dhabi negotiating table, though Kyiv will not scuttle the summit if Washington insists strictly on a trilateral format.
Ukrainian president firmly emphasized that Kyiv will make zero compromises regarding sovereign territory during the talks, characterizing territorial integrity as an absolute "red line" that can only be broached at the head-of-state level.
On Oct. 26, Ukrainska Pravda reported, citing diplomatic sources, that the Ukrainian negotiating delegation is actively working to widen the thematic scope governing terms for ending the war. The effort focuses on redirecting discussions away from Moscow's territorial ultimatums toward a comprehensive architecture securing the future security posture of Ukraine and Europe.