Russia, Ukraine and US hold trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi

Russian, Ukrainian and US representatives have arrived in Abu Dhabi for trilateral talks scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, November 10-11, according to China News Service. The talks mark the first face-to-face consultations among the three sides in nine months, after negotiations stalled in February.

Delegations

US special envoy Steve Witkoff will lead the US delegation, joined by Jared Kushner, who serves as special envoy. The Russian delegation is led by Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and includes high-ranking Russian military and intelligence officials. The Ukrainian delegation is led by Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service, and includes lawmaker Davyd Arakhamia along with diplomatic and military officials.

Topics and expectations

When announcing the talks, Witkoff said the discussions would focus on "post-war security arrangements, de-escalation, humanitarian efforts, and next steps toward peace." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has named security guarantees, an energy ceasefire, unblocking the Black Sea, extended prisoner exchanges, and preparations for a meeting of the leaders of Ukraine, the United States and Russia as his key topics.

Arakhamia told DW he was not expecting quick progress. "I don't think there will be a breakthrough, after there was such a long break in the negotiation process," he said. "Simply the fact that trilateral talks are being resumed can be counted as a success."

European participation

Separate formats are planned with several European representatives, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's foreign and security policy adviser Günter Sautter, Emmanuel Bonne, head of the Elysee Palace's diplomatic service, UK national security advisor Jonathan Powell, and Fabrizio Saggio, diplomatic adviser to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Björn Seibert, Chief of Staff for European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Geoffrey van Leeuwen, Chief of Staff for NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, will also attend.

Hanna Shelest, a security studies director at the foreign policy network Ukrainian Prism, told DW she believed European representatives would play "an observing role, at best." She added that Russia had been reluctant to have European representatives at the table to uphold the impression that talks were "a matter between two superpowers" — namely, Russia and the United States.

Why it matters

The talks resume after months of stalled US-mediated peace negotiations. Ukraine continues to demand security guarantees, which DW reports is a non-starter for Russia. Zelenskyy said the Ukrainian delegation would hold separate meetings with European partners, with only one goal: "to facilitate true peace."

---

Sources

• dw.com: New trilateral talks on Ukraine war: What to expect?
• chinanews.com.cn (in Chinese): Russia-US-Ukraine trilateral talks imminent; Foreign media: Russian and Ukrainian delegations both arrive in Abu Dhabi

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.