US Sets Nov. 10–11 Ukraine-Russia Talks in Abu Dhabi as Trump Pushes for Peace Deal

Ukrainian, Russian and US officials will hold trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 10–11, as US President Donald Trump’s administration steps up efforts to negotiate an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine, special envoy Steve Witkoff announced Monday. “The United States will mediate working-level negotiations between Ukraine and Russia on November 10–11 in Abu Dhabi, advancing President Trump’s mission to end the war,” Witkoff wrote on X.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “Discussions will focus on post-war security arrangements, de-escalation, humanitarian efforts, and next steps toward peace,” he added. Before the negotiations, US officials will meet representatives of France, Germany, the UK, the EU and NATO in Brussels to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine, economic support for its reconstruction and Europe’s post-war security architecture. “We look forward to building on the progress made in Kyiv, Oslo, and St. Petersburg toward reaching a comprehensive and lasting peace agreement that ensures long-term security for generations to come,” Witkoff said. The US delegation in Abu Dhabi is expected to include Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, Reuters reported, citing a source familiar with the plans. Abu Dhabi talks follow Putin-Witkoff meeting The announcement formalizes a diplomatic push that gathered momentum in October, following separate contacts between Washington, Kyiv and Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin met Witkoff in St. Petersburg on Oct. 21. Following the meeting, Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said Moscow was prepared to resume trilateral negotiations around Nov. 10, with post-war security arrangements for Russia and Ukraine expected to be a central issue. Other Topics of Interest New Jersey Governor Threatens Legal Action Over Trump-Authorized Russian Diesel Imports New Jersey’s governor warned ports against accepting Trump-authorized Russian diesel imports, calling them illegal. Kyiv had been pushing for an earlier resumption of negotiations. Zelensky said on Oct. 28 that he had initially proposed holding talks sooner but agreed to wait until voting in the United States had concluded. The November meeting would follow three earlier rounds of negotiations between Ukraine, Russia and the US: two in Abu Dhabi in January and February and another in Geneva in February. Those discussions failed to produce a comprehensive agreement to end the war, although they facilitated progress on prisoner exchanges. Security guarantees remain a key sticking point Zelensky has said Ukraine is negotiating US security commitments modeled on NATO’s Article 5, which requires allies to assist a member under attack. In an Oct. 22 interview, he insisted that any American guarantees must be backed by a vote in the US Congress rather than relying on political assurances that could change with a new administration. Kyiv has outlined three possible security frameworks: NATO membership, bilateral US guarantees and a European-led Coalition of the Willing backed by Washington. Zelensky said these arrangements should complement one another, with a strong Ukrainian military at their core. Zelensky has repeatedly rejected neutrality or restrictions on Ukraine’s armed forces as conditions for a settlement, arguing that maintaining a strong military is essential to preventing another Russian invasion. He has said Ukraine wants to retain an army of up to 800,000 personnel, depending on available funding and its eventual security arrangements. Moscow, meanwhile, has sought to make its own security demands part of the negotiations. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko has said any post-war security arrangements should include Ukraine abandoning its NATO membership ambitions and barring foreign troops from its territory. Zelensky has also suggested that security guarantees could extend to Russia, although the terms and scope of any such arrangements remain unclear. No comprehensive peace agreement has been reached, and major disagreements over security arrangements and the future European security architecture remain unresolved. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.