Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff, Kyrylo Budanov, will lead Ukraine's delegation at next week's talks with Russia and the United States in Abu Dhabi.

Axar.az reports that, in an interview with CBS News, Budanov said he did not expect a significant breakthrough but described the agreement of the Ukrainian and Russian delegations to meet face-to-face as a sign of progress.

He said the negotiations would not be final and would focus on assessing the parties' readiness to end the ongoing war.

Budanov also noted that his military experience and that of his Russian counterparts could help the sides communicate on technical aspects of a potential ceasefire.