Russia sent not a diplomat but a professional Kremlin “fixer” to the Abu Dhabi talks - a figure who for years has operated on some of the grittiest fronts of President Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy, according to media reports.
The Abu Dhabi meeting revealed a key detail: alongside GRU chief Igor Kostyukov, Moscow dispatched one of the Kremlin’s most secretive and seasoned negotiators, Lt. Gen. Alexander Zorin. His participation was not officially announced, but journalists from the news outlet Agentstvo identified him from meeting videos.
Within Russia’s system, Zorin is known as a man for “special tasks.” In the West, he is seen as an architect of gray-zone operations and no-rules talks. Over the years, he handled the Syria portfolio, took part in negotiations around Azovstal, and oversaw the recruitment of Syrians for entities linked to the Wagner private military company.
Zorin’s presence at the table signals something larger: Moscow no longer appears confident. The Kremlin has concluded that its previous tactics - pressure, delay, and performative dialogue — no longer work, the outlet reports.
Sources describe Zorin as a specialist in “hard negotiations,” where the aim is less to agree than to compel the other side to accept terms. Bringing him in suggests Russia views the talks as both critically important and potentially risky for itself.
Notably, delegations were seated intermingled rather than in separate blocs - a setup that underscored the tense format and a lack of Moscow’s usual control.
The Kremlin understands the U.S. posture has shifted. Donald Trump is signaling a readiness to exert pressure - economically, politically, and with force. For the first time in a long while, Russia finds itself reacting rather than setting the agenda, the outlet writes.
That is why Moscow sent GRU operatives rather than Foreign Ministry diplomats - an attempt to retain leverage where traditional diplomacy no longer suffices.
Zorin’s own profile is another signal. His biography is directly tied to gray operations, coercion, manipulation, and military negotiations. Experts note figures like him surface not when things go to plan, but when they are slipping out of control.
