Russia, Ukraine and U.S. plan to restart peace talks in Abu Dhabi

Negotiations Planned

Peace talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States are planned to resume in November in Abu Dhabi, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Russia indicated its readiness to restart the negotiations following a three-hour meeting in Saint Petersburg between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff.

Trilateral Talks

Putin agreed in principle to resume the trilateral negotiations after November 10, according to Putin's foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov. These talks will focus on building a security system for Russia and Ukraine after the conflict ends. The discussion at Saint Petersburg's Constantine Palace included Ushakov, Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev, and Jared Kushner via video link. Witkoff also met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders in Oslo before heading to Russia.

Past Talks

Representatives of the three countries held three rounds of negotiations early this year, meeting twice in Abu Dhabi in January and February, followed by talks in Geneva in February. Those earlier sessions saw little progress beyond prisoner exchanges as both sides stuck to their basic demands. The renewed diplomatic push comes as U.S. President Donald Trump pushes Kyiv to make a deal to stop the fighting, more than four and a half years after the war began.

Context

Diplomatic efforts to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict have faced major hurdles due to deep disagreements over territory and security demands from both sides. High-level envoys frequently travel between European capitals and Moscow to test the ground for potential peace frameworks.