US to mediate Ukraine-Russia talks in Abu Dhabi on 10-11 November
Special envoy Steve Witkoff confirms working-level meetings will cover security arrangements, de-escalation and steps toward ending the war.
Abu Dhabi2 min read
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The United States will bring Ukrainian and Russian delegations together in Abu Dhabi on 10 and 11 November for working-level talks aimed at ending the war, US special envoy Steve Witkoff said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the dates and said presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky will lead the Russian side. Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to represent the United States. The agenda includes post-war security arrangements, de-escalation, humanitarian measures and next steps toward a settlement. This is the first trilateral meeting since February, before the US and Israel opened a conflict with Iran.
Putin agreed to the round after meeting Witkoff in St Petersburg two weeks earlier. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has acknowledged Russia’s interest in security guarantees, a shift from earlier positions. The sides remain far apart on territory. Russia continues to demand full control of the regions it has annexed. Ukraine rejects those claims. A temporary ceasefire last week allowed limited humanitarian access in one occupied southern city, but fighting continues elsewhere.
US officials plan separate meetings this week in Brussels with representatives from France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the European Union and NATO. Those talks will address security guarantees for Ukraine, Europe’s post-war architecture and reconstruction funding. The Abu Dhabi meetings follow earlier rounds in January and February that produced a prisoner exchange but no breakthrough on the main issues.
The war has entered its fifth year. Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure have continued. Western military aid and sanctions remain in place. The midterm election outcome in the United States, which shifted control of Congress, has not altered the immediate diplomatic schedule. Trump has repeatedly stated his goal of ending the conflict. Whether the Abu Dhabi sessions produce concrete movement on territory, security or ceasefires will become clear only after the two days of talks conclude.
Medinsky’s continued role as chief negotiator signals continuity in Moscow’s approach. Ukrainian officials have not publicly named their full delegation. The choice of Abu Dhabi as host reflects the United Arab Emirates’ willingness to provide a neutral venue. Previous meetings there and in other locations have tested proposals on neutral status, demilitarised zones and phased withdrawals, none of which have yet been accepted by both sides.
