Kremlin foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov said on Sunday that resolving the territorial issue remains the main task in efforts to settle the Ukraine conflict.
Speaking in an interview with Russian media, Ushakov said each side of the conflict has its own view of what it could seek to advance in negotiations.
"One of the main issues is the territorial one. That is true. There is undoubtedly a lot of work still to be done," he said.
Asked if the Ukraine issue was discussed at the BRICS summit in New Delhi, Ushakov said only Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira mentioned the issue in his speech.
"I noticed yesterday that during the leaders' speeches at the summit, only one — the Brazilian foreign minister — mentioned Ukraine, while all the other leaders simply left it aside," he said.
Asked whether this indicated solidarity within BRICS over the Ukraine conflict, Ushakov said he believed it reflected an understanding of Russia's position.
"In my view, this speaks of an understanding of our position. And what our president explained during his conversations with individual leaders is, of course, going into our asset column," he said.
Meanwhile, the Ukraine issue was among the main topics during Russian President Vladimir Putin's bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in India, Ushakov said.
Moscow hopes the peace process regarding Ukraine will eventually produce a positive result, he added.
"The peace process on Ukraine is continuing. And we hope that sooner or later it will lead to a positive result," he said.
According to Ushakov, agreements reached by Russia and the US during the Aug. 15, 2025, presidential meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, form the basis of the Ukraine peace process, which he described as "lengthy and complicated."
"The negotiating process does not start from scratch. All this — the Anchorage agreements — constitutes the essence of a process that is lengthy, of course, but at the same time complicated," he said.
Russia's demands for a settlement remain unchanged, with no tightening of its position, Ushakov said.
"I would say that the demands remain the same, there has been no tightening. We simply would like these demands to be fulfilled sooner or later — preferably sooner," he said.
Abu Dhabi has been discussed as one possible venue for trilateral Russia-US-Ukraine talks, while Türkiye and other countries also confirmed their readiness to host the negotiations, Ushakov said.
"Abu Dhabi was discussed as an option," Ushakov said when asked whether the UAE capital had been considered during Putin's meeting with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Ushakov described Abu Dhabi as "a suitable place" for the talks, and the UAE crown prince confirmed to Putin that the UAE was ready to provide a venue for Ukraine negotiations, Ushakov said.
When the place and the date of such a meeting are agreed, Putin will determine who will head the Russian delegation at trilateral talks on a Ukraine settlement, he said.
Ushakov highlighted that a large number of issues still need to be agreed on before a trilateral meeting between the Russian, US and Ukrainian leaders.
However, progress on the territorial issue would make it easier to reach agreement on the remaining matters, he said.
Ushakov also said he believed US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had gained a better understanding of Russia's position following their talks with Putin.
The two US envoys visited Moscow on Sept. 5 for talks with Putin before traveling to Kyiv on Sept. 6 for discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Moscow and Kyiv have since signaled interest in resuming trilateral negotiations, with October discussed as a possible timeframe.
