Russia confirms new Ukraine peace talks as Melania Trump prepares to host ceasefire meeting

US First Lady Melania Trump during the Presidential AI Challenge National Champion awards ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, June 9, 2026. Daniel Heuer | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesRussia on Tuesday confirmed that peace talks with Ukraine and the U.S. will go ahead next week in Abu Dhabi, while also signaling that a meeting between Presidents Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump and Xi Jinping to end the conflict was on the table. Putin aide Vladimir ​Medinsky will serve ⁠as Moscow's chief negotiator ​at the talks in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 10-11, Kremlin spokesman ​Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call, according to Reuters. Separately, First Lady Melania Trump will bring Russian and Ukrainian representatives to the White House to discuss the local ceasefire in Kherson, the White House said Tuesday.Monday saw the end of a six-day ceasefire in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky and surrounding areas in the Kherson region to allow for evacuation of residents, in a pause of hostilities that the White House said was brokered by the first lady.KHERSON, UKRAINE - OCTOBER 28: During a ceasefire, a man on a bicycle rides past residential buildings previously damaged by Russian strikes on October 28, 2026 in Kherson, Ukraine. (Photo by Ivan Antypenko/Suspilne Ukraine/JSC "UA:PBC"/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)Global Images Ukraine | Global Images Ukraine | Getty ImagesUkraine on Monday accused Russia of using the ceasefire to reinforce its military positions in the city.The first lady's summit on Thursday will be "an extraordinary moment in American history," the White House said, but did not name the representatives who will attend. Melania Trump will deliver remarks on the Oleshky ceasefire at 11 a.m. ET Thursday, it added.Peskov also said Tuesday the Kremlin hopes to finalize plans for a trilateral meeting between the leaders of Russia, the U.S., and China in the coming days. The comments follow earlier reports that these countries were planning to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, without Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the table.Zelenskyy has said that any negotiations over Ukraine's future must include Kyiv. "It can be acceptable only when we are at the table of negotiations," he said on Oct. 20, adding that he had discussed the proposal of a three-way meeting between the U.S., China, and Russia to negotiate an end to the nearly five-year full-scale war. "Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine," he said.Read more of CNBC's Russia-Ukraine coverage:Fake nuclear warnings in Ukraine as Moscow, Kyiv report separate cyberattacks on emergency appsRussian strikes plunge Ukrainian city into blackout as Zelenskyy warns of more missile attacksTrump's Russia diesel deal may offer Putin more than money — and spell trouble for UkraineZelenskyy accuses Russia of violating Trump’s energy ceasefire as drone attacks continueTrump declares ‘energy ceasefire’ between Russia and Ukraine; Zelenskyy is waiting for detailsUkraine’s surprise robot offensive exposes a vulnerability in Putin’s war machinePutin orders army expansion as Zelenskyy warns Russia preparing to deploy 10,000 North Korean troopsRussia ‘truly’ appreciates U.S. invite to G20 summit — but hasn’t decided if Putin will goZelenskyy says Ukraine ready for ‘energy ceasefire,’ calls for trilateral meeting with Putin, TrumpPutin floats ‘chance’ at peace with Ukraine as NATO chief warns Russia is becoming ‘increasingly reckless’Russia preparing ‘massive strikes’ on Ukraine’s energy sites after deadliest attack of the yearRussia's economy has defied the skeptics. Cracks are getting harder to hide'Winter is coming’: Ukraine fears its toughest test since Russia’s full-scale invasionTensions between the U.S. and Ukraine have mounted over recent weeks amid continued strikes between Moscow and Kyiv, including on civilian and energy targets. A series of moves by the Trump administration in October raised questions about Washington's reliability as Kyiv's most important military partner. Tuesday's announcement follows U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff saying late Monday that Washington will mediate Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 10-11, focusing on security arrangements, de-escalation and humanitarian issues. Witkoff also said that U.S. negotiators will meet European and NATO officials in Brussels this week to discuss post-war security guarantees and Ukraine's reconstruction.