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Abu Dhabi talks reopen Russia-Ukraine diplomacy without a breakthrough

Russian, Ukrainian and US negotiators opened two days of talks in Abu Dhabi on 10 November 2026, their first three-way meeting in nine months, but reported no ceasefire or territorial breakthrough.

Published
11 November 2026, 08:00
Written by
Claude Opus (an AI model by Anthropic), from public sources
Sources
36 references: 12 primary or official, 22 news reports, 2 other
Links checked
11 November 2026: 34 of 36 opened, 2 sites block automated checks, 34 with an archived copy
Citations audited
11 November 2026: 163 cited sentences checked against their sources. 146 supported, 17 corrected
Keywords
Russia-Ukraine war; peace negotiations; Abu Dhabi talks; European security architecture; NATO-Russia Council; ceasefire; security guarantees; civilian casualties

Abstract

Delegations from the United States, Ukraine and Russia met in Abu Dhabi on 10 November 2026 for their first three-way negotiating session in about nine months[1,2]. On the first day the negotiators met for more than four hours, and a second session took place on 11 November[1,3,4]. No ceasefire, territorial arrangement or signed document was announced after the first day[1,2]. Washington has widened the agenda from territory alone towards NATO and European security, and on 5 November Kushner announced a framework with five parts[5,6,7]. In remarks reported on 3 November, Russia's foreign minister rejected Ukrainian proposals for an immediate ceasefire, and Ukraine refuses to give up territory[2,8]. Reports of Russia's territorial demand differ: CBS News said Moscow wants all four regions it declared annexed in 2022, while AFP reported a demand that Ukraine give up the parts of Donetsk it still controls[1,9]. UN monitors verified at least 328 civilians killed and 2,105 injured in September 2026, 85% more than in September 2025[10,11]. European officials have said they would agree to a security framework with Russia only after a ceasefire, while Kushner favours running both processes at once[7,12]. Critics warn that Washington's framework could put NATO's posture, which Russia sought to restrict in its December 2021 drafts, on the negotiating table[6,13]. Russia asked for the discussions to stay confidential, and reports gave differing counts of drones downed over the Leningrad region on 11 November[3,4,14].

Key points

References

  1. CBS News, Associated Press. No signs of progress as U.S.-Russia-Ukraine talks get underway in Abu Dhabi, but Zelenskyy. CBS News; 10 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports first trilateral session in nine months, US envoys, Zelensky's Donbas quote, Lavrov's rejection of ceasefire, Russia's claim to four regions annexed in September 2022. ↩
  2. Sharp A. U.S.-Mediated Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks in Abu Dhabi Make Little Headway. Foreign Policy; 10 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports lack of breakthrough, Grynkewich's attendance, Rubio's caution, Zelensky's absence, Ukraine's refusal to cede land, strain on Russia's economy and Ukraine's interceptor shortage. ↩
  3. France 24. Live: Ukraine, Russia hold second day of US-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi. France 24; 11 Nov 2026. News reportSite blocks checksArchived copySupports second day of talks, Kushner's 'narrowed the gaps', the 92-drone figure, Ust-Luga fire, Smolensk deaths, Russian defence ministry claims and Baltic drone alerts. ↩
  4. Meduza. Russia and Ukraine discuss prisoners, security guarantees, and postwar future on first day of Abu Dhabi talks. Meduza; 10 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports four-hour session, topics discussed, Zelensky and Rubio quotes, Peskov's refusal to discuss models, Russian confidentiality request and possible prisoner exchange. ↩
  5. Reevell P. Russia-Ukraine talks: What's changed since the last round?. ABC News; 10 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports the shift to European security, European presence, failed earlier inducements, unchanged Russian demands, intensified bombing and Charap's quote. ↩
  6. Raufoglu A. White House outlines broader European security plan ahead of Ukraine peace talks. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty; 6 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports Kushner's 5 November framework, the no-veto principle, Trump's quote and the Herbst and Howard assessments. ↩
  7. Kyiv Post. Kushner Proposes Multilateral Europe-Russia Security Talks. Kyiv Post; 8 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports the five pillars, Zelensky's CNN quote and Yalta warning, and the European official's sequencing quote. ↩
  8. Kyiv Post. Lavrov Rejects Ukraine Ceasefire Proposals, Claims Kyiv Wants Time to Rearm. Kyiv Post; 3 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports Lavrov's 3 November rejection of ceasefire and partial truces and his quotes. ↩
  9. AFP. US calls for new Europe security framework as Russia, Ukraine hold first peace talks in 9 months. Dawn; Nov 2026. News reportSite blocks checksArchived copySupports Kushner's framework quotes, Rubio on Europe, Ryabkov's earlier NATO demands, Russian agenda, Frederiksen quote, Yalta 2.0, Donetsk demand and 800,000-strong army request. ↩
  10. UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. Civilian casualties remain at record levels amid intensifying attacks on energy as winter approaches. United Nations Ukraine; 16 Oct 2026. Official report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports September 2026 casualty figures, 85% rise, undercounting in occupied areas, 30 August energy campaign and Kyiv outage. ↩
  11. UN News. Ukraine: Civilian casualty rates among 'deadliest' in years, as energy attacks intensify. United Nations; 16 Oct 2026. Official report✓ Link checkedArchived copyCorroborates September casualty figures, regional spread and the 600,000 Kyiv outage. ↩
  12. Tyshchenko K. Trump's son-in-law Kushner seeks to revive NATO-Russia Council model as part of efforts to end war. Ukrainska Pravda; 8 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports Ignatius's reporting on the NATO-Russia Council model and the 'simultaneous process' quote. ↩
  13. Pifer S. Russia's draft agreements with NATO and the United States: Intended for rejection?. Brookings Institution; 21 Dec 2021. Analysis or opinion✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports the December 2021 draft provisions on NATO enlargement and deployments, and Pifer's assessment. ↩
  14. Al Jazeera, Reuters. Russia, Ukraine exchange strikes as Baltic nations issue drone alerts. Al Jazeera; 11 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports the 146-drone figure, Ust-Luga injuries, Kryvyi Rih outage and injuries, Baltic alerts, Finnish restrictions and Zelensky's description of the first day. ↩
  15. iStories. Путин заявил, что Украина контролирует лишь 10% Донецкой области. На самом деле — вдвое больше. iStories (Important Stories); 16 Oct 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports Putin's 10% claim and DeepState and ISW figures on control of Donetsk. ↩
  16. European External Action Service. Russian energy revenues, trade, crypto and military industries targeted in 20th round of EU sanctions. European External Action Service; 23 Apr 2026. Official statement✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports the 20th sanctions package date, vessel totals and bank transaction bans. ↩

First three-way talks in nine months open in Abu Dhabi

Delegations from the United States, Ukraine and Russia met in Abu Dhabi on 10 November 2026 for their first three-way negotiating session in about nine months[1,2]. The talks were scheduled to last two days, and a second session took place on 11 November[1,3]. On the first day the negotiators met for more than four hours. The subjects reportedly discussed included security guarantees for both sides, post-war reconstruction, a new security architecture and exchanges of prisoners of war[4]. No ceasefire, territorial arrangement or signed document was announced after the first day, and Foreign Policy reported that a significant breakthrough remained out of reach[1,2].

The United States was represented by the special envoy Steve Witkoff and by Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law[1,5]. According to TASS, Russia's delegation was led by the presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky[6]. TASS, citing Ukrainian media, reported that Ukraine's team was led by Rustem Umerov, head of the Foreign Intelligence Service[6]. European Pravda reported that representatives of the European Commission, the European Council, Germany, France and the United Kingdom at security-adviser level, together with the NATO secretary general's chief of staff, would attend, and that Ukraine's team would hold separate coordination meetings with European partners[7].

Kushner told the delegations that the aim was to create "a new framework" of security between Ukraine, Russia and Europe. He also said that the United States had "narrowed the gaps" between the two sides, but gave no details[3,5]. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who did not attend, called the talks "very productive"[4,5]. He also warned: "It's not like something that's on the verge of being solved in the next 24 hours"[2]. President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was not in Abu Dhabi, described the first day as "constructive and quite substantive"[2,4,8]. The Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said of the proposed security architecture: "We will not discuss any models publicly"[4].

From invasion to a stalled peace process

Russia launched what the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, calls a "full-scale invasion" on 24 February 2022. Since then, UN monitors have verified at least 16,431 civilians killed, including 803 children, and 48,613 injured, according to figures published in July 2026[9,10]. In September 2022 Russia declared four Ukrainian regions, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, to be its own territory, although it has never fully captured them[1]. On 12 October 2022 the UN General Assembly voted 143 to 5, with 35 abstentions, for a resolution that demanded that Russia reverse its annexation declaration[11].

Russia's demands about NATO are older than the invasion. In December 2021 Moscow published draft agreements that would have committed the alliance to "no further enlargement of the alliance, including in particular to Ukraine"[12]. A 28-point US plan, reported in November 2025, was drafted by Witkoff with input from Rubio and Kushner[13]. Three-way meetings in Abu Dhabi on 23–24 January and 4–5 February 2026 led to an exchange of 314 prisoners, 157 from each side, but produced no ceasefire or settlement[14].

The process then stalled. In March 2026 Peskov said the talks were on a "situational pause" because of the war involving Iran[15]. On 21 October Witkoff met Putin in St Petersburg for three hours, and Putin's adviser Yuri Ushakov said Putin had agreed "in principle" to resume three-way talks after 10 November[16].

Washington widens the agenda to European security

ABC News reported that the administration has shifted the focus of the talks from territory alone towards NATO and European security arrangements, and that key European countries were taking part in Abu Dhabi for the first time[17]. On 5 November Kushner announced a framework with five parts: permanent security consultations, crisis communication channels, greater military transparency, reciprocal measures to reduce the risk of escalation, and long-term arrangements for European security[18,19]. RFE/RL reported that the proposal included "no state having a veto over another's security choices or alliances"[18].

The Washington Post columnist David Ignatius reported, as relayed by Ukrainska Pravda, that "Kushner's model is the NATO-Russia Council"[20]. That council was created by the Rome Declaration of 28 May 2002[21]. NATO suspended practical civilian and military cooperation with Russia in April 2014 because of Russia's intervention in Ukraine and its annexation of Crimea[22].

AFP cited Russian sources as saying that settling the war was "merely one item on the agenda" and that Moscow's main objective was a review of the continent's whole security architecture[5]. Kyiv and its European partners object to the order of events. Zelensky told CNN that "The idea of discussing a European-Russian security infrastructure is not simple, and it can be dangerous", and warned against a "Yalta 2.0"[5,19]. A senior official from a close US ally said: "A Ukraine peace agreement has to be settled before an agreement on security architecture"[19]. Samuel Charap of the RAND Corporation told ABC News: "We're not going to have a new European security architecture agreement simultaneous to a ceasefire"[17].

Ceasefire first or settlement first

The sharpest disagreement is about what comes first. In remarks reported on 3 November, Lavrov rejected Ukrainian proposals for an immediate ceasefire and for partial truces, saying: "We insist not on a temporary ceasefire...but on reliably eliminating the root causes"[23]. In comments reported as the talks opened, he dismissed European calls for a ceasefire as an attempt to "buy time" for Kyiv[1,2]. CBS News said Moscow wants all four regions it declared annexed in 2022, while AFP reported a demand that Ukraine give up the parts of Donetsk it still controls[1,5]. PBS NewsHour reported that Russia wants Ukraine to abandon its hopes of joining NATO and to accept limits on its military, and that it insists on security guarantees for Russia itself[24].

Ukraine refuses to give up territory[2]. Zelensky said: "No one believes that Putin will stop if we give up the Donbas. He might pause — but then he will return in a year, two years or five years"[1]. AFP reported that Ukrainian officials want at least ten years of financial support to maintain an army of 800,000[5]. The European Council's conclusions of 16 October call on Russia to "agree to a full, unconditional and immediate ceasefire" and state that "Borders must not be changed by force"[25]. PBS NewsHour reported that Trump has said Moscow and Kyiv are "very close" to a deal[24].

Violence, competing readings and what remains uncertain

The fighting continues alongside the talks. UN monitors verified at least 328 civilians killed and 2,105 injured in September 2026, 85% more than in September 2025[26,27]. On 2 November glide bombs killed at least 31 civilians who had gathered for aid at a school in Komyshuvakha[28]. Alexander Drozdenko, governor of the Leningrad region, said 113 drones were shot down on the night of 9 November, and the Kirishi refinery caught fire[29]. On 16 October Putin claimed that Ukraine held only about 10% of the Donetsk region, whereas DeepState data show Russia occupying about 80%[30].

Those who see an opening point to pressure on both sides. Foreign Policy reported that the long war has "strained Russia's wartime economy"[2]. Sceptics see continuity. ABC News reported that Putin's core demands have not changed[17], and before the talks Lavrov said: "Our position has not changed. It has never changed since the beginning of the special military operation"[6]. European officials have said they would agree to a security framework with Russia only after a ceasefire, while Kushner favours running both processes at once[19,20].

Much of what happened in the negotiating room is not public. Meduza reported that Russia asked for the discussions to stay confidential[4]. Kushner's statement that the gaps had narrowed came without specifics[3,5]. Reports of Russia's territorial demand do not agree on whether it covers all four regions or only the rest of Donetsk[1,5]. Reported counts of drones downed over the Leningrad region on 11 November differ, at 92 and 146, both attributed to the regional governor[3,8]. The result of the second day, and whether a further round will follow, were not known when the talks resumed.

References

  1. CBS News, Associated Press. No signs of progress as U.S.-Russia-Ukraine talks get underway in Abu Dhabi, but Zelenskyy. CBS News; 10 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports first trilateral session in nine months, US envoys, Zelensky's Donbas quote, Lavrov's rejection of ceasefire, Russia's claim to four regions annexed in September 2022. ↩
  2. Sharp A. U.S.-Mediated Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks in Abu Dhabi Make Little Headway. Foreign Policy; 10 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports lack of breakthrough, Grynkewich's attendance, Rubio's caution, Zelensky's absence, Ukraine's refusal to cede land, strain on Russia's economy and Ukraine's interceptor shortage. ↩
  3. France 24. Live: Ukraine, Russia hold second day of US-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi. France 24; 11 Nov 2026. News reportSite blocks checksArchived copySupports second day of talks, Kushner's 'narrowed the gaps', the 92-drone figure, Ust-Luga fire, Smolensk deaths, Russian defence ministry claims and Baltic drone alerts. ↩
  4. Meduza. Russia and Ukraine discuss prisoners, security guarantees, and postwar future on first day of Abu Dhabi talks. Meduza; 10 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports four-hour session, topics discussed, Zelensky and Rubio quotes, Peskov's refusal to discuss models, Russian confidentiality request and possible prisoner exchange. ↩
  5. AFP. US calls for new Europe security framework as Russia, Ukraine hold first peace talks in 9 months. Dawn; Nov 2026. News reportSite blocks checksArchived copySupports Kushner's framework quotes, Rubio on Europe, Ryabkov's earlier NATO demands, Russian agenda, Frederiksen quote, Yalta 2.0, Donetsk demand and 800,000-strong army request. ↩
  6. TASS. Trilateral talks on Ukraine to begin in Abu Dhabi. TASS (Russian state news agency); 10 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedSupports delegation composition, Lavrov's 'position has not changed' quote, Putin's Istanbul/Anchorage basis, Peskov on guarantees, 18 February Geneva meeting, Kostyukov's earlier role and Russia's insistence on a trilateral format. ↩
  7. Krychkovska U. Ukrainian delegation heads to Abu Dhabi for talks with US and Russia. European Pravda; 9 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports the list of European and NATO representatives present for separate coordination meetings. ↩
  8. Al Jazeera, Reuters. Russia, Ukraine exchange strikes as Baltic nations issue drone alerts. Al Jazeera; 11 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports the 146-drone figure, Ust-Luga injuries, Kryvyi Rih outage and injuries, Baltic alerts, Finnish restrictions and Zelensky's description of the first day. ↩
  9. UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. Civilian Casualties Soar in Ukraine in the First Half of 2026 Amid Escalating Attacks and Intensifying Use of Deadly Weapons, UN Human Rights Monitors Say. United Nations Ukraine; 14 Jul 2026. Official report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports cumulative verified civilian casualties since 24 February 2022 and their status as minimum figures. ↩
  10. UN News. Ukraine war 'a human rights catastrophe' that must end, says Türk. United Nations; 2 Oct 2026. Official statement✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports Türk's 'full-scale invasion' wording and the 15,280 casualties in the first eight months of 2026, 55% higher than 2025. ↩
  11. UN News. Ukraine: UN General Assembly demands Russia reverse course on 'attempted illegal annexation'. United Nations; 12 Oct 2022. Official statement✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports the 143-5-35 General Assembly vote and the resolution's content. ↩
  12. Pifer S. Russia's draft agreements with NATO and the United States: Intended for rejection?. Brookings Institution; 21 Dec 2021. Analysis or opinion✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports the December 2021 draft provisions on NATO enlargement and deployments, and Pifer's assessment. ↩
  13. Anadolu Agency. Factbox: Trump's 28-point plan to end Russia-Ukraine war. Anadolu Agency; 21 Nov 2025. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports authorship and key terms of the 28-point plan. ↩
  14. Wikipedia contributors. 2026 United States–Ukraine–Russia meetings in Abu Dhabi. Wikipedia. Reference work✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports the January and February 2026 round dates and the 314-prisoner exchange. ↩
  15. Reuters. Moscow says Ukraine peace talks on pause, Kyiv says new meeting planned. News Tribune (Jefferson City); 20 Mar 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports Peskov's 'situational pause' remark linked to the Iran war and Zelensky's reply. ↩
  16. Associated Press. Putin agrees to resume three-way talks on Ukraine war with Kyiv, Washington, Kremlin says. The Boston Globe; 21 Oct 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports the 21 October Putin-Witkoff meeting, Ushakov's statement and the February gap in talks. ↩
  17. Reevell P. Russia-Ukraine talks: What's changed since the last round?. ABC News; 10 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports the shift to European security, European presence, failed earlier inducements, unchanged Russian demands, intensified bombing and Charap's quote. ↩
  18. Raufoglu A. White House outlines broader European security plan ahead of Ukraine peace talks. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty; 6 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports Kushner's 5 November framework, the no-veto principle, Trump's quote and the Herbst and Howard assessments. ↩
  19. Kyiv Post. Kushner Proposes Multilateral Europe-Russia Security Talks. Kyiv Post; 8 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports the five pillars, Zelensky's CNN quote and Yalta warning, and the European official's sequencing quote. ↩
  20. Tyshchenko K. Trump's son-in-law Kushner seeks to revive NATO-Russia Council model as part of efforts to end war. Ukrainska Pravda; 8 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports Ignatius's reporting on the NATO-Russia Council model and the 'simultaneous process' quote. ↩
  21. NATO. NATO-Russia Relations: a New Quality. North Atlantic Treaty Organization; 28 May 2002. Official statement✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports the creation of the NATO-Russia Council and the 'equal partners' quote. ↩
  22. NATO. Relations with Russia. North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Official report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports the April 2014 suspension of cooperation and NATO's description of Russia as the most significant threat. ↩
  23. Kyiv Post. Lavrov Rejects Ukraine Ceasefire Proposals, Claims Kyiv Wants Time to Rearm. Kyiv Post; 3 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports Lavrov's 3 November rejection of ceasefire and partial truces and his quotes. ↩
  24. PBS NewsHour. Russia-Ukraine peace talks led by U.S. will look at security guarantees for both sides. PBS NewsHour; Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports Russia's NATO, military-limit, 'legitimate targets' and guarantee demands, Zelensky's Article 5-style question and Trump's 'very close' remark. ↩
  25. European Council. European Council Conclusions on Ukraine (16 October). European External Action Service; 19 Oct 2026. Official statement✓ Link checkedSupports the EU's quoted positions on ceasefire, borders, security guarantees and Europe's role. ↩
  26. UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. Civilian casualties remain at record levels amid intensifying attacks on energy as winter approaches. United Nations Ukraine; 16 Oct 2026. Official report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports September 2026 casualty figures, 85% rise, undercounting in occupied areas, 30 August energy campaign and Kyiv outage. ↩
  27. UN News. Ukraine: Civilian casualty rates among 'deadliest' in years, as energy attacks intensify. United Nations; 16 Oct 2026. Official report✓ Link checkedArchived copyCorroborates September casualty figures, regional spread and the 600,000 Kyiv outage. ↩
  28. UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. Mass Casualty Attack in Zaporizhzhia Region Shows the Devastating Impact of Glide Bombs, UN Human Rights Monitors Say. OHCHR Ukraine; 3 Nov 2026. Official report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports the 2 November Komyshuvakha glide-bomb attack killing at least 31. ↩
  29. Meduza. Ukrainian drones strike Russia's Leningrad region, sparking fire at one of the country's largest oil refineries. Meduza; 9 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports Drozdenko's 113-drone figure, the Kirishi refinery fire and the Vsevolozhsk death. ↩
  30. iStories. Путин заявил, что Украина контролирует лишь 10% Донецкой области. На самом деле — вдвое больше. iStories (Important Stories); 16 Oct 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports Putin's 10% claim and DeepState and ISW figures on control of Donetsk. ↩

Abstract

Delegations from the United States, Ukraine and Russia met in Abu Dhabi on 10 November 2026 for their first three-way negotiating session in about nine months[1,2]. On the first day the negotiators met for more than four hours, and a second session took place on 11 November[1,3,4]. No ceasefire, territorial arrangement or signed document was announced after the first day[1,2]. Washington has widened the agenda from territory alone towards NATO and European security, and on 5 November Kushner announced a framework with five parts[5,6,7]. In remarks reported on 3 November, Russia's foreign minister rejected Ukrainian proposals for an immediate ceasefire, and Ukraine refuses to give up territory[2,8]. Reports of Russia's territorial demand differ: CBS News said Moscow wants all four regions it declared annexed in 2022, while AFP reported a demand that Ukraine give up the parts of Donetsk it still controls[1,9]. UN monitors verified at least 328 civilians killed and 2,105 injured in September 2026, 85% more than in September 2025[10,11]. European officials have said they would agree to a security framework with Russia only after a ceasefire, while Kushner favours running both processes at once[7,12]. Critics warn that Washington's framework could put NATO's posture, which Russia sought to restrict in its December 2021 drafts, on the negotiating table[6,13]. Russia asked for the discussions to stay confidential, and reports gave differing counts of drones downed over the Leningrad region on 11 November[3,4,14].

1First three-way talks in nine months open in Abu Dhabi

Delegations from the United States, Ukraine and Russia met in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, on 10 November 2026 for their first three-way negotiating session in about nine months[1,2]. The talks were scheduled to last two days, and a second session took place on 11 November[1,3]. On the first day the negotiators met for more than four hours. The subjects reportedly discussed included security guarantees for both sides, post-war reconstruction, a new security architecture and exchanges of prisoners of war[4]. No ceasefire, territorial arrangement or signed document was announced after the first day, and Foreign Policy reported that a significant breakthrough remained out of reach[1,2].

The United States was represented by the special envoy Steve Witkoff and by Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law[1,9]. According to the Russian state news agency TASS, Russia's delegation was led by the presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky. It also included Igor Kostyukov, head of the Main Intelligence Directorate; the deputy foreign ministers Mikhail Galuzin and Sergey Ryabkov; and Yury Zhigarlovsky of the General Staff[15]. TASS, citing Ukrainian media, reported that Ukraine's team was led by Rustem Umerov, head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, and included Kyrylo Budanov, head of the presidential office, and David Arakhamia, who leads the governing party's group in parliament[15]. The Ukrainian outlet European Pravda reported that representatives of the European Commission, the European Council, Germany, France and the United Kingdom at security-adviser level, together with the NATO secretary general's chief of staff, would attend, and that Ukraine's team would hold separate coordination meetings with European partners[16]. Foreign Policy reported that NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Alexus Grynkewich, attended a meeting with Ukrainian officials and other representatives in Abu Dhabi[2].

Kushner told the delegations that the aim was to create "a new framework" of security between Ukraine, Russia and Europe that could secure "decades, if not centuries, of peace"[9]. He also said that the United States had "narrowed the gaps" between the two sides, but gave no details[3,9]. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who did not attend, called the talks "very productive" and said that European countries "are part of solving this problem"[4,9]. He also warned: "It's not like something that's on the verge of being solved in the next 24 hours"[2].

President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was not in Abu Dhabi, described the first day as "constructive and quite substantive"[2,4,14]. According to Meduza, he added: "It's hard to deal with the Russians"[4]. The Russian representatives held back their comments. The Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said of the proposed security architecture: "We will not discuss any models publicly"[4]. The earliest reports from 11 November concerned overnight strikes and drone alerts, not any diplomatic result[3].

2From full-scale invasion to a stalled peace process

Russia launched what the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, calls a "full-scale invasion" on 24 February 2022. Since then, UN monitors have verified at least 16,431 civilians killed, including 803 children, and 48,613 injured, according to figures published in July 2026[17,18]. Moscow calls its campaign a "special military operation". Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov used that term before the talks when he said Russia's position had never changed[15]. In September 2022 Russia declared four Ukrainian regions, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, to be its own territory, although it has never fully captured them[1]. On 12 October 2022 the UN General Assembly voted 143 to 5, with 35 abstentions, for a resolution that described these regions as temporarily occupied by Russia and demanded that Russia reverse its annexation declaration[19]. Article 2(4) of the UN Charter requires member states to refrain from "the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state"[20].

Russia's demands about NATO are older than the invasion. In December 2021 Moscow published draft agreements that would have committed the alliance to "no further enlargement of the alliance, including in particular to Ukraine". The drafts would also have barred NATO forces from countries that joined after May 1997[13]. Steven Pifer of the Brookings Institution argued at the time that the drafts' publication, their unacceptable provisions and "the peremptory terms used by Russian officials" suggested "the Kremlin may want rejection"[13]. AFP reported that Ryabkov, now a member of the Abu Dhabi delegation, had previously presented Russian demands for NATO to withdraw from Eastern Europe[9].

A 28-point US plan, reported in November 2025, was drafted by Witkoff with input from Rubio and Kushner. It proposed capping Ukraine's armed forces at 600,000, recognising Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk as de facto Russian, and freezing Kherson and Zaporizhzhia along the line of contact[21]. Three-way meetings in Abu Dhabi on 23–24 January and 4–5 February 2026 led to an exchange of 314 prisoners, 157 from each side, but produced no ceasefire or settlement[22]. TASS dates the last three-way meeting before November to 18 February, in Geneva[15].

The process then stalled. In March 2026 Peskov said the talks were on a "situational pause" because of the war involving Iran. Zelensky replied: "There has been a pause in the talks. It is time to end that"[23]. On 21 October Witkoff met Putin in St Petersburg for three hours. Afterwards Putin's adviser Yuri Ushakov said Putin had agreed "in principle" to resume three-way talks after 10 November[24]. At the start of November Witkoff announced that the round would cover "post-war security agreements, de-escalation, humanitarian measures, and ending the war"[25]. The National, an Abu Dhabi newspaper, noted that the talks came after the Republican Party's defeat in the US midterm elections[26].

3Washington widens the agenda to European security

ABC News reported that the administration has shifted the focus of the talks from territory alone towards NATO and European security arrangements. It also reported that key European countries were taking part in Abu Dhabi for the first time[5]. On 5 November, after meetings in Brussels with Ukrainian, NATO and European officials, Kushner announced a framework with five parts: permanent security consultations, crisis communication channels, greater military transparency, reciprocal measures to reduce the risk of escalation, and long-term arrangements for European security[6,7]. RFE/RL reported that the proposal included respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, with "no state having a veto over another's security choices or alliances"[6]. Trump told reporters: "It's going to be a big agreement, and it's going to involve more than Ukraine"[6].

The Washington Post columnist David Ignatius reported, as relayed by Ukrainska Pravda, that "Kushner's model is the NATO-Russia Council". He also reported that Kushner wants "a simultaneous process, with both trains arriving at the same time"[12]. The NATO-Russia Council was created by the Rome Declaration of 28 May 2002, which stated that "NATO member states and Russia will work as equal partners in areas of common interest"[27]. NATO suspended practical civilian and military cooperation with Russia in April 2014 because of Russia's intervention in Ukraine and its annexation of Crimea. NATO now describes Russia as "the most significant and direct threat to Allies' security"[28].

AFP cited Russian sources as saying that settling the war was "merely one item on the agenda" and that Moscow's main objective was a review of the continent's whole security architecture[9]. TASS reported that Putin had offered to negotiate on the basis of "agreements reached in Istanbul", the understandings discussed in Anchorage and "realities on the ground"[15]. ABC News reported that earlier US attempts to win Putin over with normal relations, sanctions relief and business opportunities had failed[5].

Kyiv and its European partners object to the order of events. Zelensky told CNN that "The idea of discussing a European-Russian security infrastructure is not simple, and it can be dangerous". He argued that the war must end and Ukraine must receive guarantees first, and warned against a "Yalta 2.0". The phrase refers to the 1945 conference at which the victorious powers divided Europe into spheres of influence[7,9]. A senior official from a close US ally said: "A Ukraine peace agreement has to be settled before an agreement on security architecture"[7]. Denmark's prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, warned that "Allowing Russia to decide the borders of Europe will be a huge mistake"[9]. Samuel Charap of the RAND Corporation told ABC News: "We're not going to have a new European security architecture agreement simultaneous to a ceasefire"[5].

4Ceasefire first or settlement first

The sharpest disagreement is about what comes first. In remarks reported on 3 November, Lavrov rejected Ukrainian proposals for an immediate ceasefire and for partial truces covering energy, food, airspace and maritime activity. He said: "None of this is for peace". He added: "We insist not on a temporary ceasefire...but on reliably eliminating the root causes"[8]. In comments reported as the talks opened, he dismissed European calls for a ceasefire as an attempt to "buy time" for Kyiv, adding: "We will not agree to this"[1,2]. Reports of Russia's territorial demand differ. CBS News said Moscow wants all four regions it declared annexed in 2022, while AFP reported a demand that Ukraine give up the parts of Donetsk it still controls[1,9]. PBS NewsHour reported three further Russian positions. Russia wants Ukraine to abandon its hopes of joining NATO and to accept limits on its military. It regards any European troops sent to Ukraine after a settlement as "legitimate targets". And it insists on security guarantees for Russia itself[29].

Ukraine refuses to give up territory[2]. Zelensky said: "No one believes that Putin will stop if we give up the Donbas. He might pause — but then he will return in a year, two years or five years"[1]. On guarantees, he has drawn on the logic of NATO's collective-defence clause, asking: "If Russia starts again, what will happen? Who will do what, with what means, and when?"[29]. AFP reported that Ukrainian officials want at least ten years of financial support to maintain an army of 800,000[9]. Umerov said Ukraine was working to "ensure that Europe is a participant in the diplomatic process", which Russia opposes[26]. TASS reported that Moscow insists the talks remain strictly trilateral[15].

The European Council set out the European Union's position on 16 October 2026. Its conclusions call on Russia to "agree to a full, unconditional and immediate ceasefire". They state that "Borders must not be changed by force". They also say that the EU and its member states "stand ready to contribute to robust and credible security guarantees for Ukraine, notably through the Coalition of the Willing"[30]. The conclusions add that "Europe has a key role to play in a future settlement"[30].

Washington's public position combines optimism with caution. PBS NewsHour reported that Trump has said Moscow and Kyiv are "very close" to a deal[29]. A US official quoted by The National said: "I do believe that now we're in a position where there is a shot at trying to make serious progress to end the war"[26]. Rubio's call for Europe to take part does not fit easily with Moscow's insistence on a three-party format, or with Russia's view of European troops as potential targets.

5Strikes, casualties and contested battlefield figures

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) verified at least 328 civilians killed and 2,105 injured in September 2026. That was 85% more than in September 2025, and the casualties occurred in 22 regions and the city of Kyiv[10,11]. Türk told the Human Rights Council that 15,280 civilians were killed or injured in the first eight months of 2026, 55% more than in the same period of 2025[18]. The mission counts only cases it has verified. It says the actual number in Russian-occupied areas "is likely significantly higher" because its access is limited[10]. It has also noted rising civilian casualties reported inside Russia as Ukraine stepped up its attacks there[31]. On 2 November glide bombs killed at least 31 civilians who had gathered for aid at a school in Komyshuvakha, in Zaporizhzhia region[32].

According to the HRMMU, on 30 August the Russian defence ministry announced preparations for "massive strikes against Ukrainian energy facilities", and Russian forces later resumed systematic attacks on energy infrastructure. Strikes on 13–14 October left 600,000 people in Kyiv without electricity[10,11]. On the night of 10–11 November a Russian strike cut power in parts of Kryvyi Rih and injured one person in Kharkiv and six in Zaporizhzhia[14]. Russia's defence ministry said it had hit a cargo vessel south-west of Odesa carrying weapons. It also said it had hit three electricity substations in the Kryvyi Rih and Odesa regions[3,14].

Ukraine continued its long-range drone attacks on Russian oil facilities. Alexander Drozdenko, governor of the Leningrad region, said 113 drones were shot down on the night of 9 November. The Kirishi refinery, one of Russia's largest, caught fire, and debris killed a woman in Vsevolozhsk[33]. Overnight into 11 November drones set the Ust-Luga port area on fire and injured three people. Russian officials said debris killed two people in the Smolensk region[3,14]. Figures for that night differ. France 24 reported Drozdenko as saying 92 drones were downed, while Al Jazeera, citing TASS, quoted him giving a total of 146 during an attack that was still going on[3,14].

The air war is reaching NATO territory. Overnight, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia told residents to take shelter because of unidentified drones from Russia or Belarus. The alerts covered Kaunas, a city of about 300,000, and NATO air-defence jets were activated[3,14]. Finland briefly restricted airspace and sea access in the eastern Gulf of Finland as a "precautionary measure"[14]. Earlier in 2026 stray Ukrainian drones struck targets in Estonia and Latvia. Ukrainian officials blamed Russian electronic interference, and Latvia's defence minister and prime minister both resigned[34].

Control of territory is also disputed. On 16 October Putin claimed that Ukraine held only about 10% of the Donetsk region. However, data from the DeepState mapping project, reported by the independent Russian outlet iStories, show Russia occupying about 80%, or around 21,300 square kilometres[35].

6Competing readings of Moscow's intentions

Those who see an opening point to pressure on both sides. Foreign Policy reported that the long war has "strained Russia's wartime economy" and that Ukraine's arsenal remains "dangerously low on U.S.-made interceptors"[2]. The EU's 20th sanctions package was adopted on 23 April 2026. According to the EU's diplomatic service, it added 46 vessels to the list of banned ships, bringing the total to 632, and banned transactions with 20 Russian banks[36]. TASS noted that Kostyukov led Russia's team in January and February. This time he serves under Medinsky, alongside two deputy foreign ministers[15]. A broader delegation would fit Moscow's stated wish to discuss European security and not only the front line.

Sceptics see continuity. ABC News reported that Putin's core demands have not changed: Ukraine must surrender eastern Donbas, accept military limits and restrict European support. It also reported that Russia has intensified its bombing of Ukrainian power and water supplies[5]. RFE/RL reported that John Herbst of the Atlantic Council doubted that Russia was committed to real compromise. Glen Howard of the Saratoga Foundation warned that the proposal could set a precedent for restructuring NATO[6]. Before the talks Lavrov said: "Our position has not changed. It has never changed since the beginning of the special military operation"[15].

The consequences reach beyond Ukraine. European officials have said they would agree to a security framework with Russia only after a ceasefire, while Kushner favours running both processes at once[7,12]. A parallel process would therefore test European unity. For Kyiv, the risk Zelensky describes is that giving up territory would buy a pause, not peace[1]. For Moscow, linking a Ukrainian settlement to NATO's position in Europe would revive questions it raised in its December 2021 drafts[13]. The host also has a stake. The UAE's foreign minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, said he hoped the talks would produce "practical steps" towards ending the war[26].

Uncertainties and open questions

Much of what happened in the negotiating room is not public. Meduza reported that Russia asked for the discussions to stay confidential, and Peskov said Moscow would not discuss security models in public[4]. Kushner's statement that the gaps had narrowed came without specifics[3,9]. Reports of Russia's territorial demand do not agree on whether it covers all four regions it claims or only the rest of Donetsk[1,9]. The most detailed account of Kushner's thinking about a model based on the NATO-Russia Council comes from a single columnist, repeated by other outlets[7,12].

Drone tallies come from Russian regional officials, and reports for 11 November give differing figures for the Leningrad region. The Russian defence ministry's account of the cargo vessel comes from a party to the war[3,14]. The UN's civilian casualty figures are verified minimums, and the monitoring mission says casualties in occupied areas are probably undercounted[10,17]. Estimates of territorial control come from open-source mapping and contradict Putin's figures[35]. A possible large prisoner exchange rests on unnamed sources cited by Meduza[4]. The result of the second day, and whether a further round will follow, were not known when the talks resumed.

Conclusion

The Abu Dhabi round reopened a channel that had been closed since February, and both Kyiv and Washington described its first day in positive terms[2,4,24]. Yet the public record shows no movement on the two questions that blocked earlier rounds. The first is whether fighting stops before a settlement. The second is who controls Donetsk and the other regions Russia claims[1,2].

What has changed is the scope of the talks. By proposing a framework for European security, Washington has raised the prospect that NATO's posture, which Russia sought to restrict in its December 2021 drafts, could be negotiated. At the same time it has promised that no state will have a veto over another's alliances[6,13]. It is not yet clear whether the wider agenda creates room for compromise or simply delays hard choices in Moscow and Kyiv. In the meantime, UN monitors continue to record civilian casualties at levels the HRMMU describes as record highs[10].

References

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  2. Sharp A. U.S.-Mediated Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks in Abu Dhabi Make Little Headway. Foreign Policy; 10 Nov 2026. News report✓ Link checkedArchived copySupports lack of breakthrough, Grynkewich's attendance, Rubio's caution, Zelensky's absence, Ukraine's refusal to cede land, strain on Russia's economy and Ukraine's interceptor shortage. ↩
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