Russia, Ukraine, and the U.S. to hold peace talks in Abu Dhabi on November 10 — their first trilateral meeting since February, with security issues expected to top the agenda
Russia, Ukraine, and the U.S. to hold peace talks in Abu Dhabi on November 10 — their first trilateral meeting since February, with security issues expected to top the agenda
The first trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the United States since February will begin on November 10 in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. European representatives will also attend, though they apparently will not take part in the trilateral talks themselves.
After a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that in Abu Dhabi, “the EU will be present alongside our partners.” The news outlet European Pravda reported that the chiefs of staff of the European Commission and the European Council will represent the EU at the talks, while national security advisers will represent Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. Geoffrey van Leeuwen, the NATO secretary general’s chief of staff, will represent the alliance in Abu Dhabi.
Presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky will lead the Russian delegation. Its members include Deputy Foreign Ministers Sergey Ryabkov and Mikhail Galuzin, as well as two representatives of the Russian Armed Forces’ General Staff: Igor Kostyukov, head of its Main Directorate (formerly the GRU), and his deputy, Yuri Zhigarlovsky.
Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service, will lead the Ukrainian delegation. Its other members are Kyrylo Budanov, the presidential chief of staff; Davyd Arakhamia, leader of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction; Serhiy Kyslytsya, a deputy presidential chief of staff; and Vadym Skibitsky, a deputy military intelligence chief.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner will lead the American delegation.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the planned talks in Abu Dhabi would be trilateral, with Washington mediating between Moscow and Kyiv:
As for the Europeans’ presence, as you know, the Americans have their own channels of communication with the Europeans, and so do the Ukrainians. They are apparently working out their own arrangements for coordination. But I repeat: These are trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi.
Umerov confirmed that the Europeans would be in Abu Dhabi but said Ukraine would hold “separate coordination meetings” with its European partners.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the first item on the agenda is expected to be a discussion of security issues for Russia, Ukraine, and the region as a whole.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed a similar view. He said ensuring the security of Ukraine and all of Europe after the war was one of the main issues. “There’s been some advances made in what that architecture could look like post-conflict. Nothing’s been finalized yet, and maybe some progress can be made in Abu Dhabi,” Rubio said on November 8.
Citing sources, the Financial Times reported that the Europeans plan to strengthen Ukraine’s position in Abu Dhabi and prevent Russia from using the negotiations to reshape Europe’s security architecture. The sources said national security advisers from France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, along with European Commission representatives, will take part in “sections of the Abu Dhabi talks.”
In early November, Kushner wrote on social media that Washington was working on a new European security system that would take into account all sides’ interests. Two officials told the FT that Kushner’s reference to a new post-conflict “framework” for the continent had not been discussed in advance with European capitals. European governments insist that any discussions of European security can take place only after peace talks with Kyiv have concluded, rather than alongside them.
“In recent weeks Europeans have made their voices heard, expressing to the American mediator that no discussion concerning the future of the continent can disregard our expectations and demands,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said.
In late October, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre spoke by phone with Vladimir Putin. A source close to the Kremlin told Reuters that Putin had informed Stubb and Støre that Russia would not abandon its goal of capturing all of the Donbas. The European leaders responded that a “just” peace was needed.
Journalist Farida Rustamova reported that Moscow had responded “warmly” to the call from the Finnish and Norwegian leaders. The Kremlin believes the call could be the start of substantive talks with Europe. Putin considers Norway and Finland less hostile toward Russia than Europe’s major countries.
Politico reported that Stubb and Støre’s call had triggered “the biggest rift among Nordic allies” since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. European governments are arguing over who should represent Europe in future talks and remain divided on a central question: Does engaging with Putin help bring about peace, or does it only encourage aggression?
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