US, Russia and Ukraine begin peace talks in Abu Dhabi
Ukraine, Russia and the United States have begun US-mediated peace talks in Abu Dhabi, the Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported on Tuesday, citing a source. The meetings are the first of their kind since February and are scheduled for two days, Tuesday, November 10 and Wednesday, November 11, 2026, as the sides seek a resolution to the war that began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Moscow and Kyiv still hold widely divergent demands.
Before talks with Russia, Ukrainian negotiators are meeting US envoys and European and NATO representatives. Chief negotiator Rustem Umerov said the first session would include the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, NATO and the European Commission, together with US Special Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, to align positions ahead of the next stage. EU negotiators are not expected to join the main trilateral talks.
Kushner said he and Witkoff were working toward a negotiated solution for a sovereign, secure and prosperous Ukraine in a more stable European security environment. His remarks did not mention that Russia launched the invasion. The EU fears that his call for direct Russia–Europe talks on broader security arrangements could amount to Washington and Moscow jointly remaking Europe’s security structures. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Europe does not need a new security architecture. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned of a “Yalta 2.0.” Some of Ukraine’s allies worry that President Donald Trump appears increasingly aligned with Moscow, and critics have accused Kushner and Witkoff of being soft on Russia; US media have also reported large back-door business deals between Washington and Moscow.
Zelenskyy is in Denmark for talks with Nordic leaders on military support, air defense and energy infrastructure. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said almost five years after the invasion, attacks on civilians, relief centers, and water and heating plants continue.
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