UPDATE 1-Kremlin aide Medinsky to head Russian team as Ukraine peace talks move to Geneva next week

They follow two rounds of negotiations in Abu Dhabi ‌at which Russia's team was led by Igor Kostyukov, its head of military intelligence.

Talks between ​Russia, Ukraine and the United ​States on ending the ‌war in ​Ukraine will move to Geneva next week and Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky will head the Russian ‌delegation, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying on Friday.

Russian news agencies quoted him as saying the talks would take place on Tuesday ‌and Wednesday. They follow two rounds of negotiations in Abu Dhabi ‌at which Russia's team was led by Igor Kostyukov, its head of military intelligence. A Ukrainian presidential aide confirmed to journalists that Kyiv's delegation was preparing for talks ⁠in ​Geneva.

The return of ⁠Medinsky, who led the Russian team at earlier talks in Turkey in 2022 and ⁠again last year, could signal that Russia expects the focus to move beyond ​security issues to broader points of disagreement between the warring sides. Nearly ⁠four years into the war, and despite intensive efforts by U.S. President Donald ⁠Trump ​to end what he calls a senseless "bloodbath", Russia and Ukraine remain far apart on key issues including territory and control of the ⁠Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.

Ukrainian sources have previously criticised Medinsky's handling of the talks, accusing ⁠him of delivering ⁠history lessons to the Ukrainian team instead of engaging in substantive negotiation.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)