Medinsky Says Every Inch of Russian Land Will Be Returned Anyway
Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky said after talks in Abu Dhabi that “every inch of Russian land will be returned to Russia one way or another,” and that Europe can join peace talks only when its “conscience wakes up.”
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Two days of trilateral talks among Russia, the United States, and Ukraine ended in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. The head of Moscow’s delegation then used a press briefing to set a hard line on territory and on any European seat at the table.
Vladimir Medinsky, a Russian presidential aide, told reporters that territorial questions had been raised. “Every inch of Russian land will be returned to Russia one way or another,” he said.
He did not identify the territories he had in mind. He also dismissed Western reports that the Ukrainian side had refused to discuss the issue, saying European newspapers should “continue living in the world of their illusions.”
Terms for a European Seat
Asked when European governments could become full participants, Medinsky said: “I think as soon as their conscience wakes up, at that moment they can become participants in peace negotiations.”
“Until then they are participants in the group deception of the Ukrainian people and in fact accomplices in the death of the civilian population,” he added.
The remarks came as Finland’s president, Alexander Stubb, argued that Europe must speak directly with Moscow if it wants a role in the talks, and as European governments have pressed for a seat at the U.S.-mediated process.
No Contact and No Proposals
Medinsky said his delegation had not communicated with European representatives in Abu Dhabi and did not “really understand in what capacity they are here.”
“We have not received a single peace initiative or a single concrete peace proposal from European countries,” he said. “Therefore, it is unclear what there is to discuss.”
“If they came here as tourists, let them socialize in the hotel lobby bar,” he added. Europeans, he said, would do well to learn “common sense, realism, and a desire to achieve peace” from the U.S. envoys.
No European officials sat at the trilateral table. U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were present when the talks opened.
Security Talks and a Swap
Medinsky said a future European security architecture had been the central theme. The sides reached a common understanding on some points but not on others, he said.
“The conflict in Ukraine has shown that the entire security system in Europe that existed after Yalta and Potsdam functions very poorly,” he said. “Essentially, the entire organism is sick, and Ukraine is simply where the abscess burst open.”
Russia and Ukraine agreed in principle on another large-scale prisoner exchange, with details to be announced soon. Kushner said he and Witkoff would meet President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday.
Ukraine’s delegation was led by Foreign Intelligence Service chief Rustem Umerov.
Kamer Kurunç
Kamer Kurunç is the Team Leader of Clash Report and has led the outlet for four years. He oversees its breaking world news coverage, from the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine war to defense and global politics. His focus is fast, verified, source-based reporting. Follow him on X at @kamerknc.
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