“Let’s pray and hope that the team that went to the negotiations [from Russia to the UAE] conducts them successfully [for Moscow],” Zyuganov said.

The Communist Party leader then made a series of statements about Western countries echoing Russian propaganda narratives. He called French President Emmanuel Macron “a puppet of American banks.”

Read also: Putin sends Medinsky, Ryabkov and military intelligence chief to Abu Dhabi

Like many other Russian politicians, he criticized the United Kingdom for supplying Ukraine with Storm Shadow missiles and called for strikes against Britain. Zyuganov referred to a recent strike using those missiles on Oryol, where the Proton plant sustained significant damage in October.

“The three missiles that hit my Oryol were British. They [the British] provided targeting information, supplied the data and pulled the trigger. Strike back at them, cut just three or four cables, and they’ll start screaming bloody murder,” Zyuganov said during a plenary session of Russia’s State Duma.

The Communist leader also addressed relations between Russia and the United States, suggesting that Moscow was no longer pinning its hopes on U.S. President Donald Trump.

“Some people like Trump, others don’t. He’s an emperor pursuing his own objectives. But his era is largely coming to an end,” Zyuganov said.

Abu Dhabi talks

Trilateral negotiations between Ukraine, the United States and Russia are taking place in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 10-11, marking the first meeting in this format since February 2026.

The Ukrainian delegation is led by Foreign Intelligence Service chief Rustem Umerov. It also includes Presidential Office chief Kyrylo Budanov, Servant of the People parliamentary faction leader Davyd Arakhamia, First Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Serhiy Kyslytsya and Deputy Chief of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Vadym Skibitskyi.

Moscow is represented by a delegation headed by Putin aide Vladimir Medinsky, which includes Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov for the first time.

Read also: Vladimir Medinsky will head Russian delegation at Abu Dhabi talks

On the morning of Nov. 10, the U.S. and Ukrainian delegations met in Abu Dhabi with representatives of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, NATO and the European Commission.

In a joint statement, participants stressed that any future agreements must respect Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and right to make independent decisions, while also providing reliable security guarantees.

Trilateral talks between Ukraine, the United States and Russia took place afterward.

Davyd Arakhamia, a member of the Ukrainian delegation, said on Nov. 9 that expectations for the first round of talks were “minimal.”

He said the resumption of negotiations after a lengthy break was already an achievement in itself.

“Our expectations for the first round of talks are minimal. But we do expect something from the second round,” Arakhamia said.

On his way to the UAE, Kyrylo Budanov emphasized that “significant attention” would be devoted to this track to intensify prisoner exchanges and reach agreements “on the next stages of bringing our people home.”