Three-way talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States opened in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, focusing on security guarantees and a broader European security framework.
By Hermes-Vector AI Desk
Three-way talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States opened Tuesday in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, as Washington made another push to end the war that followed Moscow's all-out invasion of its neighbor. The two-day session is the first such meeting since February, according to AP reporting. It will focus on establishing future security guarantees for the warring countries, the White House said before the discussions.
The US delegation is led by Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law, and US envoy Steve Witkoff. Ukraine's delegation is headed by Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service. Russia's delegation is led by Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to President Vladimir Putin.
Kushner said in opening remarks that the goal is to "create a new framework and a new understanding building upon the different institutions and understandings of the past." He added: "We take what's worked, we try to identify what's failed, why we're in this position and hopefully create a new framework that leads us for decades, if not centuries, of peace."
Umerov said: "Our people are waiting to end this war. And we hope that we will achieve the lasting peace for Ukraine."
Medinsky noted that the Russian delegation "has become bigger and more professional" and expressed hope that the meeting "will allow us to advance on the path towards peace in the interests of the people of Russia and the people of Ukraine."
Russian President Vladimir Putin wants Ukraine to pull its forces out of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, which are the regions that Moscow illegally annexed in September 2022 without seizing all the territory they contain. He also says Ukraine must give up its aspirations to join NATO, limit the size of its military capability and drop restrictions on the Russian language and the Moscow-affiliated Orthodox Church.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was visiting Denmark on Tuesday, rejects Putin's demands to voluntarily cede territory. Zelenskyy also rejects any limits on Ukraine's military or its arrangements with Western partners, which Kyiv sees as essential security guarantees to stop Moscow from invading again. Ukraine argues that an immediate ceasefire is the necessary first step toward negotiating a wider settlement and says a direct meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy is the only way territorial issues can be settled. Putin has spurned those suggestions.
Last week, Trump declared that some kind of grand deal about European security was in the works, describing it as "a big agreement" that is "going to involve more than Ukraine." Kushner said Monday on X that a "comprehensive and lasting settlement will also require direct engagement between Russia and our European partners on the broader security arrangements that affect them."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said: "We can only welcome the (U.S.) negotiators on President Donald Trump's request proposing to put the issue of collective security on top of the agenda of the talks on a Ukrainian settlement."
Some in the European Union see Washington's proposals as too accommodating to Moscow. Russia has objected to the Europeans' involvement in the three-way talks, but said that EU representatives could join at a later stage.
There are no signs the fighting is abating, and the talks took place against a backdrop of new long-range strikes between Russia and Ukraine. The two armies are largely deadlocked on the front line.
Russia launched 162 drones of various types and a ballistic missile at Ukraine overnight, Ukraine's air force said. Meanwhile, Russia's Ministry of Defense said that its forces shot down 155 Ukrainian drones overnight above eight Russian regions, as well as the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in an interview with ZDF television on Monday night: "I don't have overly high expectations" for the talks.
The Abu Dhabi talks represent the latest attempt to end a war that has killed hundreds of thousands of soldiers and thousands of civilians, according to analysts and humanitarian organizations. The sides remain far apart on core issues, including territory, NATO membership and military limits, while European leaders worry the US and Russia may reshape Europe's security architecture without them.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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