The United States, Russia and Ukraine will resume talks on ending the war on November 10 and 11 in Abu Dhabi. The new round will be the first trilateral format since February, but a general ceasefire will not be put on the table. Instead, the discussions will focus on security guarantees intended to prevent a renewed outbreak of the conflict under any future agreement.
U.S. representatives will also discuss de-escalation, humanitarian measures and the next steps toward a peace agreement. U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, described the agenda as follows: “The discussions will focus on post-war security arrangements, de-escalation, humanitarian measures and next steps toward peace.” Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to represent Washington.
Territories remain the most difficult issue
Ukraine insists that a ceasefire should be the first step toward a broader political agreement. Kyiv also believes that territorial issues can be resolved only at a direct meeting between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky.
Moscow, for its part, is insisting on conditions that Kyiv rejects, including restrictions on the Ukrainian armed forces and arrangements limiting Ukraine’s military cooperation with Western countries. The Ukrainian president does not accept the voluntary surrender of territories that Russian forces have failed to seize.
Russia’s representative on foreign policy issues, Yuri Ushakov, rejected the direct inclusion of European countries in the Abu Dhabi format. “No one will invite them to the negotiating table,” he said. European representatives, however, will participate in parallel talks on security guarantees for Ukraine and the future security architecture in Europe.
Fighting continues ahead of the meeting
A day before the diplomatic talks, Russia once again struck Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, while Ukrainian forces attacked a Russian oil refinery. The exchange of long-range strikes highlights the disconnect between diplomatic contacts and the situation on the battlefield.
Previous rounds of talks earlier this year failed to produce visible progress on the key issues. According to analysts cited by The New York Times, a significant breakthrough may not be achieved before spring, when Moscow will be able to assess the results of its winter military campaign.
Nevertheless, limited agreements remain possible. In October, a temporary truce was reached around the occupied city of Oleshkу in southern Ukraine, allowing the evacuation of civilians and the delivery of humanitarian aid. Washington and Kyiv hope that such local measures will create conditions for broader talks, but so far there is no confirmed agreement on a general ceasefire.
Sources: nytimes.com, apnews.com, marketscreener.com