Abu Dhabi Hosts New Three-Way Talks Between Russia, Ukraine and the United States

Peace talks involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States are starting on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, in the United Arab Emirates. The two-day session in Abu Dhabi marks the first such meeting since February and centers on security guarantees.

Positions

Moscow and Kyiv remain far apart on key parts of any peace deal as the full-scale war approaches its five-year mark. Russian President Vladimir Putin wants Ukraine to pull troops back from Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, regions that Russia annexed in September 2022. He also demands that Ukraine drop its NATO bid, limit its military, and remove restrictions on the Russian language and the Moscow-affiliated Orthodox Church. Mr. Putin rejects a general halt in hostilities and insists Russia will use force if Kyiv refuses these terms. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejects ceding territory that Russia has not captured on the battlefield. Mr. Zelenskyy also refuses limits on Ukraine's military and its Western partnerships, arguing an immediate ceasefire must come first and calling for a direct meeting between the two presidents.

Negotiators

The talks feature senior officials from previous negotiations. Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff represent the United States. Vladimir Medinsky leads the Russian team, joined by Sergei Ryabkov, Mikhail Galuzin, Igor Kostyukov and Yuri Zhigarlovsky. Rustem Umerov leads the Ukrainian delegation, alongside Kyrylo Budanov, Sergiy Kyslytsya and Davyd Arakhamia.

Context

High-level diplomatic talks are often used by nations to test the ground for ending prolonged military conflicts, even when their core demands remain far apart. The involvement of the United States as a mediator reflects the heavy international diplomatic effort required to bring warring nations to the negotiating table.