Russia-Ukraine-US Talks in Abu Dhabi to Last Two Days, With Military and Diplomatic Delegations
Key Facts
Russia, the United States and Ukraine will meet in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday and Wednesday for trilateral talks aimed at discussing an end to Russia’s war on Ukraine, Reuters reported. The agency said the meeting would be the first talks of this kind since February 2026, while U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff described the agenda as covering security guarantees, de-escalation, humanitarian issues and next steps toward a peaceful settlement. The meeting comes months after the last U.S.-mediated peace talks, held in February before the outbreak of the war between the United States, Israel and Iran, Reuters reported. The Russian delegation includes diplomatic, intelligence and military officials, bringing together foreign relations and operational planning portfolios. But Moscow and Kyiv remain far apart on the terms of any potential peace deal, the agency said.
The Russian delegation is led by Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to the president, who also attended a preparatory meeting held by Vladimir Putin with permanent members of Russia’s Security Council and members of the delegation, focused on the trilateral talks between Russia, the United States and Ukraine, Bernama reported, citing TASS. The preparatory meeting included Deputy Foreign Ministers Mikhail Galuzin and Sergei Ryabkov, military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov, and Yuri Zhigarlovsky, deputy head of the General Staff’s Main Operational Directorate. Ryabkov is taking part in these talks for the first time, while Galuzin and Kostyukov have taken part in previous missions, Reuters reported. Ryabkov oversees Russia’s relations with North and South America, as well as arms control, nonproliferation and issues related to Iran’s nuclear program. Zhigarlovsky holds a senior position in the directorate responsible for Russia’s military planning and operations.
The United States is expected to be represented in Abu Dhabi by Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Washington’s lead negotiators, according to a senior U.S. official cited by Reuters. Before the meeting, U.S. negotiators held working-level talks in Brussels with representatives from France, Germany, Britain, the European Union and NATO. The official said the discussion covered “Ukraine’s security guarantees, Europe’s future security framework and economic support for Ukraine’s reconstruction.” Witkoff had said the parties planned to discuss security guarantees, de-escalation and humanitarian issues, along with further steps toward a peaceful settlement. These topics put European security and reconstruction alongside direct war-related issues on the agenda of diplomatic contacts surrounding the Abu Dhabi talks.
The Abu Dhabi meeting was preceded by direct contact between Russian and U.S. officials in Washington: Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev attended an event at the White House on November 5 and met with U.S. officials, according to two people familiar with his plans cited by Reuters. The Associated Press reported that President Donald Trump met Dmitriev at the White House that same day, but said he had not met the Ukrainian officials who were there. Trump said the expected deal “will be a big deal and go beyond Ukraine,” adding that it could include all of Europe. In Brussels, Kushner described Thursday’s talks with Ukraine and European allies as “productive,” and the agency said they focused on security guarantees for Kyiv and a broader security architecture for Europe. These contacts provide context for the ongoing diplomatic track ahead of the parties’ meeting in the UAE.
Recent contacts also included a local ceasefire in the city of Oleshky, in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region and under Russian occupation. The Associated Press said the ceasefire was in effect from October 27 to November 1, and Russian and Ukrainian representatives took part in an event at the White House that discussed it. The ceasefire was planned to last six days to facilitate the delivery of food and medicine to about 2,000 remaining residents and the evacuation of those who wanted to leave, the agency reported. The local ceasefire began Tuesday, and the humanitarian operation aimed to reach the remaining residents of the battered city, according to another Associated Press report. Humanitarian issues are among the topics Witkoff said the parties would discuss in Abu Dhabi, alongside security guarantees and de-escalation.