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Putin Deploys Top GRU Negotiator Linked to Wagner Recruitment for Abu Dhabi Talks
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
Russia has dispatched one of its most experienced intelligence officers, Lieutenant General Alexander Zorin, to participate in high-level negotiations with Ukraine and the United States in Abu Dhabi.
His presence was not officially announced by Moscow, but he was identified in footage from the talks. Zorin currently serves as the First Deputy Chief of the GRU’s Information Directorate.
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According to reports from Agenstvo.Novosti, the Russian delegation to the trilateral meeting included GRU Chief Igor Kostyukov, interpreter Ilya Kurepov, and Zorin—who has a history of representing Moscow in sensitive and strategically important negotiations.
While the Kremlin confirmed Kostyukov’s participation, Zorin’s involvement was not disclosed in advance. Analysts have described him as one of the Kremlin’s top negotiators, with Russian state-affiliated outlets referring to him as a figure capable of managing “the most complex conflicts.”
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Zorin is a career military intelligence officer born in Kharkiv in 1968. He previously served twice as Russia’s military attaché in Japan and was the Ministry of Defense’s special envoy at the Geneva Syria talks in 2016–2017.
He later played a key role in organizing Syria’s 2018 national dialogue conference, facilitating engagement between the Assad regime and segments of the opposition.
Zorin was also involved in negotiations with Ukraine in May 2022, specifically during discussions over the surrender of Ukrainian defenders trapped at the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol.
He returned to negotiations in May 2025 as part of Russia’s delegation in Istanbul. Zorin was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation by a classified presidential decree.
In 2021, Foreign Policy reported that Zorin had led efforts by Russia’s Defense Ministry in 2016 to recruit Syrian nationals for military operations in Libya on behalf of Khalifa Haftar’s forces.
Citing Syrian rebel sources, the outlet stated that many of the recruits were misled into believing they would be assigned to protect oil infrastructure under the Wagner Group. Upon arrival, they were instead deployed in combat roles, often under conditions that diverged from the promises made during recruitment.
The trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi began on January 23, involving representatives from Ukraine, the United States, and Russia. Ukraine’s delegation is headed by National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov.
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