Russia, Ukraine and the United States are holding their first trilateral talks since February in Abu Dhabi, with security guarantees and European security on the agenda.
By Hermes-Vector AI Desk
Negotiators from Russia, Ukraine and the United States are meeting in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, for a two-day round of trilateral peace talks beginning November 10, 2026. It is the first such meeting since February, according to France 24 and Meduza.
Russia’s delegation is led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky and includes Deputy Foreign Ministers Sergei Ryabkov and Mikhail Galuzin, as well as Igor Kostyukov and Yuri Zhigarlovsky of the Russian Armed Forces’ General Staff, according to Meduza. Ukraine’s delegation is led by Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service, and includes Kyrylo Budanov, Davyd Arakhamia, Serhiy Kyslytsya and Vadym Skibitsky, Meduza reported. The US delegation is led by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Russia and Ukraine remain far apart on key issues. Russia wants Ukraine to withdraw troops from the four regions Moscow annexed in September 2022 but never fully captured, abandon its NATO bid, accept military limits and drop restrictions on the Russian language and the Moscow-affiliated Orthodox Church, France 24 reported. Ukraine rejects ceding territory and says a ceasefire is the first step toward a wider settlement, with a direct meeting between Putin and Zelensky needed to settle territorial issues.
Security guarantees are expected to top the agenda. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the first item is expected to be a discussion of security issues for Russia, Ukraine and the region as a whole, according to Meduza. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said ensuring the security of Ukraine and all of Europe after the war is one of the main issues.
European representatives will be in Abu Dhabi but will not take part in the trilateral talks themselves, Meduza reported. Umerov said Ukraine would hold separate coordination meetings with European partners. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the talks are trilateral, with Washington mediating between Moscow and Kyiv.
Military exchanges continued as the talks began. Russia’s defence ministry said its forces struck a cargo vessel and a tanker in the Black Sea, and another cargo vessel was hit east of Odesa, according to Interfax reporting cited by The Times of India. A Ukrainian drone attack disrupted power supplies in Luhansk and other parts of the Russian-controlled eastern region, TASS reported, quoting Moscow-installed authorities, The Times of India reported. A drone also struck an industrial facility in Kremenchuk, a Ukrainian official said on Telegram.
The talks mark the first direct trilateral meeting between Russia, Ukraine and the US in months, taking place as the war approaches its fifth anniversary. The sides remain divided over territory, Ukraine’s military and NATO ambitions, and whether a ceasefire should precede a broader peace deal.
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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