The next round of talks between the US, Ukrainian and Russian delegations could be held in Abu Dhabi or Switzerland within a few weeks, a US official told “Reuters“, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The information comes amid US efforts to resume the diplomatic process to end the war in Ukraine. According to the official, the ultimate goal of the working-level talks is to prepare a meeting between the leaders of the three countries, but significant work remains to be done before that.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the negotiators had agreed to hold technical talks in the first half of November. He named Abu Dhabi as the expected location for the meeting.
Earlier, the Kremlin also announced that trilateral talks were planned in Abu Dhabi. Russian presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov said that Vladimir Putin had in principle supported the resumption of talks after November 10. According to him, they should focus on building a security system for Russia and Ukraine after the end of the conflict.
Difference in the indicated locations
Thus, a difference remains between the publicly announced positions. Moscow specifically spoke of Abu Dhabi, while the American representative also mentioned Switzerland as a possible alternative. No final date or confirmed location for the meeting has been announced.
Zelensky said the talks should lead to a summit at the leadership level. He insisted that the future agreement should include reliable guarantees for Ukraine's security, a strong Ukrainian army and funding to maintain it for at least 10 years. The Ukrainian president also stressed that Europe must be included in the diplomatic process.
The United States, Ukraine and Russia have already held two rounds of talks in Abu Dhabi in January and February 2026, and in February there was a meeting in Geneva. Previous talks failed to reach an agreement on key issues, including a ceasefire and the terms of future security.
The new attempt followed a meeting between U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg. According to the Associated Press, Witkoff and Jared Kushner discussed with the Russian side a proposal for a trilateral meeting at a technical level. Kiev has said it supports resuming talks, but Zelensky warned that previous similar initiatives have been canceled.
Sources: investing.com, apnews.com