To be continued: Russia is ready for negotiations on Ukraine in the Middle East
Moscow is ready to appeal to the countries of the Middle East with a request to provide a platform for negotiations on Ukraine again, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Georgy Borisenko told Izvestia. Saudi Arabia may be one of them. At the same time, the diplomat emphasizes: The choice of the site is a technical issue, but the main thing is the will for dialogue on the part of the main players. However, the resumption of negotiations in the near future is unlikely, experts say. The key problem lies in the position of Kiev, which does not consider it necessary to engage in dialogue and compromise with Moscow.
Venues for meetings between Russia and Ukraine
Despite the pause in contacts, Moscow remains interested in continuing peace talks on Ukraine. The Middle Eastern countries, in particular Saudi Arabia, may once again become venues for new rounds, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
— Of course, any options are possible. We are very grateful to all our partners in the Arabian Peninsula who are helping to resolve the Ukrainian conflict and offer their services. And, of course, if such a need arises, we will turn again to our partners, including Saudi Arabia, for such support," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Georgy Borisenko told Izvestia.
Contacts between Russia and Saudi Arabia on Ukraine may take place as early as June. Borisenko said that Moscow had invited the country's leadership to come to the SPIEF. According to the diplomat, so far there are no decisions on the Ukrainian negotiations. At the same time, the issue of choosing a venue for the meeting is secondary, he noted.
— The main thing is that the main players have a desire to negotiate, — said the Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation.
Direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine resumed last spring after more than three years of hiatus. As in 2022, they were held in Istanbul, and a total of three rounds of meetings took place (May 16, June 2, and July 23). During these meetings, Moscow and Kiev agreed on several large-scale prisoner exchanges and the return of the bodies of the dead. The sides also exchanged memoranda, which presented views on the diplomatic settlement of the conflict. However, there have been no significant breakthroughs.
In early 2026, the negotiations, joined by the United States, moved to the UAE. The first trilateral meeting took place in Abu Dhabi in January, the second in February (with the following contacts taking place in Geneva).
In addition, Middle Eastern countries are actively involved in organizing military and civilian exchanges. Thus, with the direct assistance of the UAE, at least four rounds of prisoner exchanges took place in 2026. Qatar also focuses on humanitarian mediation, in particular on the return of children to their families. Doha has successfully conducted several rounds of negotiations, reuniting dozens of children with their relatives on both sides of the conflict.
The motorcade of the security service before the start of negotiations between the delegations of Russia and the United States on the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict in Riyadh
As for Saudi Arabia, in February 2025, for the first time in many years, official delegations of the Russian Federation and the United States met in person in Riyadh. Although the parties mainly focused on the normalization of bilateral relations, the topic of peace in Ukraine also played a significant role. In Saudi Arabia, Moscow and Washington agreed to form teams of senior officials to begin work on the Ukrainian settlement. Kiev is also developing contacts with Saudi Arabia — Vladimir Zelensky visited the country at the end of April.
The Iranian war, which broke out on February 28, hampered trilateral contacts between Russia, the United States and Ukraine in the Middle East region. In addition, the conflict with Tehran has almost completely captured the attention of the White House — US President Donald Trump's special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who had previously worked actively on the Ukrainian issue, were forced to switch to finding diplomatic solutions in relations with Iran. However, the Kremlin stressed that Moscow and Kiev were continuing their dialogue with Washington through their own channels.
Earlier, Trump said: The United States has not given up trying to achieve a peaceful settlement in Ukraine, adding that it continues to negotiate with Putin and Zelensky. However, the host of the White House did not disclose the details of the conversations, as well as the time when he last spoke with them.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
As for Russia, Moscow has repeatedly stressed that it is open to contacts with the Americans on Ukraine.
— They know our position. Moreover, they heard this position in Alaska. It was presented in response to their proposal. I am sure that the negotiating team, Messrs. Steven Witkoff and Jared Kushner, have definitely not forgotten this," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said earlier.
Prospects for resuming negotiations
Russia had previously stated that it was ready to make "certain concessions" at the summit of the presidents of the Russian Federation and the United States, which took place last August in Anchorage. "The concession, or rather our step forward, is related to what the Americans should get from the bloc of Europeans and Ukrainians," Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov clarified in October. However, Kiev and its European allies decided not to compromise with Moscow, directing efforts to tighten sanctions and military pressure on the Russian Federation.
Russia confirms its readiness for a peaceful settlement, but insists that Kiev completely withdraw its troops from Donbas. As Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation, explained, this step is necessary to stop the hot phase of the conflict. Ukraine refuses, while continuing to lose the territories of Donbass day after day.
At the end of April, Turkey announced that it was ready to receive the delegations of the two countries again. Moscow replied: the Russian Federation does not refuse dialogue, but the desire of other participants in the process is needed.
— We perceive positively the possibility of resuming negotiations in Istanbul. This topic, the topic of resuming negotiations, is not the number one priority in our affairs right now. We have not imposed negotiations on anyone, we have always assumed that if a partner is ready, then we will not be involved," Sergey Lavrov said at the Antalya Diplomatic Forum in Turkey.
Experts interviewed by Izvestia are confident that the chances that the negotiation process will resume in the near future are quite low.
— There have been proposals from the Ukrainian side to hold talks in Azerbaijan. But what's the agenda? What is the new offer from the Ukrainian side? She knows the position of the Russian side. Accordingly, why would the Russian delegation go there? Just to participate and continue the negotiation process itself? There is no strict need for this, so it seems to me that it is simply unlikely now," said Bogdan Bezpalko, a political scientist and member of the Presidential Council on Interethnic Relations.
— We see and know the positions of the parties. Representatives of the United States, one of the initiators of this process, distanced themselves in connection with the events in Iran," said Denis Denisov, an expert at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation. — So, based on the fact that Russia and Ukraine are not currently putting forward initiatives for bilateral contacts or any other negotiation formats, it turns out that there is no will on the part of the parties involved as such. As a result, we see a stagnation of the process.
In addition, analysts emphasize that Zelensky is not ready to compromise now, not only in dialogue with the Russian Federation, but also with the United States. Earlier, he publicly questioned whether Donald Trump could be a guarantor of peace in Ukraine.
— Trump, from Zelensky's point of view, is a downed pilot, a "lame duck." The Supreme Court took away the regulation of duties from him, and he got bogged down in Iran. From Zelensky's point of view, the congressional elections (will be held in November. — Izvestia) He's going to lose, that's why he's acting like this. And the European Union has already allocated enough money for him to wage war for more than two years," said Oleg Tsarev, an ex—deputy of the Verkhovna Rada. — He also assumes that after Trump loses the congressional elections, when the issue of impeachment arises, he will be forced to finance Ukraine. Therefore, Zelensky believes that he is on a horse.
The resumption of negotiations on Ukraine may take place closer to autumn, when a new window of opportunity is likely to open, Tsarev believes. At the same time, it is impossible not to notice how the Europeans are trying to get involved in the process, said Vladimir Oleinik, an ex-deputy of the Verkhovna Rada. Earlier, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that Kiev may have to accept the cession of part of its territory for the sake of the prospects of joining the European Union. Ukraine's membership in the EU is one of the conditions for a peaceful settlement.
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