Russian diplomats and military officials to join talks with US and Ukraine, Kremlin says

Russia's delegation to talks with the United States and Ukraine next week will include senior military officials and diplomats including Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Interfax news agency.

The trilateral meeting in Abu Dhabi, meant to discuss ending Moscow's war against Ukraine, is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday and will be the first such talks since February.

Russia's delegation, headed again by Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky as chief negotiator, will include Ryabkov for the first time as well asYuri Zhigarlovsky, a senior General Staff officer, the report said.

Ryabkov oversees Russia's relations with North and South America and is responsible for arms control, nonproliferation and issues related to Iran's nuclear program.

Zhigarlovsky is a deputy chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff, the body responsible for military planning and operations.

The delegation will also include Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin and chief of Russia's military intelligence Igor Kostyukov, who have joined past missions, according to the report.

Putin meets negotiators before Abu Dhabi talks

All members of the delegation met Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday at a Russian Security Council meeting that was partly devoted to the upcoming talks.

During the televised portion of the meeting, Putin thanked the United Arab Emirates for hosting the negotiations and said he wanted to discuss preparations for the talks with the Russian team.

Most of the meeting took place behind closed doors, with the Kremlin showing only the opening minutes, as is customary for such gatherings.

US negotiators have been seeking a breakthrough in the long-running conflict before the winter sets in. The last US-mediated peace talks took place in February before the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran.