Russia, Ukraine And US Resume Peace Talks In Abu Dhabi Amid Deep Divisions

Russia, Ukraine and the United States are set to resume trilateral peace talks in Abu Dhabi on November 10 and 11, after months of stalled negotiations. The discussions are expected to focus on security guarantees, de-escalation, humanitarian measures, prisoner exchanges and possible steps towards ending the war. However, major disagreements over territory, Ukraine’s future security and Europe’s role remain unresolved, making a major breakthrough uncertain.

Russia, Ukraine and the United States are set to begin a new round of trilateral negotiations in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday and Wednesday, November 10 and 11, as Washington renews efforts to find a path towards ending the war in Ukraine.
The talks are the first trilateral meeting involving the three countries since February, after earlier US-mediated negotiations in January and February failed to produce a lasting breakthrough. The United States is acting as mediator, with the discussions expected to focus on post-war security arrangements, de-escalation, humanitarian measures and possible steps towards ending the war.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to represent Washington. Russia's delegation is being led by Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to President Vladimir Putin, while Ukraine's delegation is headed by Rustem Umerov, the country's foreign intelligence chief.
The negotiations are taking place against a difficult background, with Russia and Ukraine still sharply divided over territory, security guarantees and the broader terms of any peace agreement.

TALKS RETURN AFTER MONTHS OF DEADLOCK

The renewed negotiations follow several rounds of US-mediated discussions earlier in 2026.
Russia and Ukraine last met in a trilateral process in February, but the talks failed to resolve the central issues separating the two sides. Since then, fighting has continued, while diplomatic efforts have repeatedly struggled to produce an agreement acceptable to both governments.
The new Abu Dhabi meeting therefore represents a return to direct negotiations at a time when the United States is trying to increase diplomatic pressure for an end to the conflict.
US officials have said the discussions will address post-war security arrangements, de-escalation, humanitarian measures and efforts to end the war.
However, Ukrainian officials have cautioned against expecting an immediate breakthrough.
Ukrainian lawmaker Davyd Arakhamia, who is part of the delegation, said the fact that the three sides were returning to trilateral negotiations could itself be viewed as progress after such a long interruption.

UKRAINE SEEKS SECURITY GUARANTEES AND HUMANITARIAN MEASURES

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has identified several issues Ukraine wants to raise during the talks.
Among them are security guarantees for Ukraine, an energy ceasefire, the reopening and protection of Black Sea navigation, expanded prisoner exchanges and preparations for a possible meeting involving the leaders of Ukraine, the United States and Russia.
The security guarantee question is particularly important to Kyiv because Ukraine wants assurances that another major Russian attack would be deterred after any future settlement.
The United States has also said post-war security arrangements will be an important part of the discussions. Jared Kushner said the broader US effort is focused on ending hostilities, developing security guarantees, supporting Ukraine's economic recovery and establishing mechanisms to prevent another conflict.

RUSSIA AND UKRAINE REMAIN FAR APART

Despite the return to negotiations, major disagreements remain.
Russia continues to demand territorial concessions from Ukraine, including control over areas of the Donbas. Ukraine has rejected giving up territory that its forces still control and has maintained that any territorial questions should be addressed within a broader settlement that includes adequate security guarantees.
The disagreement over territory is one of the biggest obstacles to a peace agreement.
There are also differences over Ukraine's future security relationship with Western countries and the role European nations should play in any settlement.
The continuation of military operations while negotiations take place adds another layer of difficulty. Recent Russian attacks and Ukrainian strikes have continued despite diplomatic efforts to establish limited pauses in fighting.

EUROPEAN COUNTRIES SEEK A ROLE IN THE PROCESS

Several European countries are expected to hold separate discussions with US officials around the Abu Dhabi negotiations.
Representatives from Germany, France, Britain and Italy, as well as the European Union and NATO, have been involved in parallel discussions on Ukraine's security guarantees, Europe's future security arrangements and financial support for Ukraine's reconstruction.
However, Russia has opposed direct European participation in the Abu Dhabi trilateral format.
The Kremlin has insisted that the Abu Dhabi negotiations are specifically between Russia, Ukraine and the United States, with Washington acting as mediator. Russian officials have said European governments have separate channels through which they can coordinate with the United States and Ukraine.
European governments have nevertheless argued that any agreement affecting Europe's long-term security should involve European countries directly.
This disagreement could become an important issue surrounding the negotiations, particularly if discussions move from short-term ceasefires to a broader peace and security framework.

US PUSHES FOR A BROADER PEACE FRAMEWORK

The Trump administration has continued to push for a wider agreement that could address not only the fighting in Ukraine but also Europe's future security structure.
Trump has spoken of the possibility of a broad agreement involving Europe, while Kushner has described a potential framework involving permanent security consultations, crisis communication channels, greater military transparency and measures designed to reduce the risk of future escalation.
The proposed approach goes beyond simply stopping the current fighting. It seeks to establish mechanisms that could reduce the possibility of another major confrontation between Russia and Ukraine and improve wider security relations in Europe.
However, questions remain about whether Russia would accept a framework involving greater European participation and whether Ukraine would consider the security guarantees sufficient.

HUMANITARIAN ISSUES COULD OFFER A LIMITED PATH FORWARD

Although a comprehensive peace agreement remains difficult, negotiators may be able to make progress on smaller humanitarian issues.
Possible areas include prisoner exchanges, protection of energy infrastructure, humanitarian pauses and arrangements allowing civilians to leave areas affected by fighting.
A temporary truce around Oleshky in the occupied Kherson region has been cited as an example of what limited agreements could look like.
Such arrangements would not end the war, but they could provide opportunities for civilians to receive assistance, evacuate dangerous areas and reduce the immediate impact of fighting.
The experience of previous temporary pauses also shows the limitations of such agreements. Fighting has continued elsewhere even when local arrangements were in place, and both sides remain deeply distrustful of each other's intentions.

WHAT THE ABU DHABI TALKS COULD MEAN FOR THE WAR

The Abu Dhabi negotiations are important because they bring Russia, Ukraine and the United States back into a single diplomatic process after months of stalled talks.
However, the meeting begins with the main disputes still unresolved. Territory, security guarantees, the future role of Europe and the terms of any ceasefire remain difficult issues.
The immediate focus may therefore be on determining whether the three sides can establish enough common ground to continue negotiations rather than reaching a final peace agreement in Abu Dhabi.
Even limited progress on prisoner exchanges, humanitarian arrangements, energy infrastructure or Black Sea navigation could provide a basis for further discussions.
The larger question will be whether the renewed diplomatic process can eventually bridge the fundamental differences between Moscow and Kyiv and lead to a wider settlement capable of ending the war and establishing a longer-term security framework for Ukraine and Europe.