Zelenskyy: Ukrainian troops are strengthening our negotiating position

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said following a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff on 9 November that Ukrainian troops are currently strengthening the country's negotiating position.

Source: Zelenskyy's address

Quote: "At the Staff meeting, there was a report from Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Mykhailo Drapatyi on our positions at the front. Right now, Ukrainian troops are truly strengthening Ukraine's negotiating positions – every mission completed in full, every defensive operation that adds to Ukraine's strength and brings results strengthens Ukraine, strengthens us, first of all, in the negotiations."

Details: Zelenskyy added that Ukraine's negotiating team had already arrived in the United Arab Emirates. The first meeting will take place on 20 November.

Quote: "The first meeting is tomorrow. Our European partners will also be there, and we will have separate formats with them. All of them must serve one purpose: bringing real peace closer. We deeply value the support of every country. India put forward proposals on food security that, unfortunately, were not supported by the Russian side.

And now, at the meetings in Abu Dhabi, our team will propose de-escalatory steps, and there must be an understanding of how to arrange a trilateral meeting at the leaders' level to bring this war to an end fairly and for real."

Background:

• The peace talks involving Ukraine, the US and Russia, which are scheduled for 10-11 November in Abu Dhabi, will be attended by European Commission, European Council, German, French and British representatives at security adviser level, as well as the NATO secretary general's chief of staff.
• US special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff will hold a meeting with European representatives prior to the start of the Ukraine-US-Russia talks.
• Ukraine will be represented at the trilateral talks by Rustem Umierov, Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service; Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the President's Office; Serhii Kyslytsia, First Deputy Head of the President's Office; Vadym Skibitskyi, Deputy Head of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine; and Davyd Arakhamiia, leader of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction.
• The Ukrainian side does not expect a breakthrough during the first meeting with Russian and US representatives in Abu Dhabi, but hopes for progress in the second round of talks.

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