American, Russian and Ukrainian officials opened two days of negotiations in the United Arab Emirates focused on security guarantees, territorial disputes and a possible end to the fighting, with European and NATO representatives participating in preliminary consultations.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Representatives from the United States, Russia and Ukraine resumed direct peace negotiations Tuesday, Nov. 10, in Abu Dhabi, marking their first trilateral meeting in nine months as President Donald Trump’s administration renewed efforts to negotiate an end to the war that began with Russia’s February 2022 invasion.
The two-day talks, hosted by the United Arab Emirates, are focused on postwar security guarantees, territorial disputes and broader European security arrangements. The opening session lasted nearly four hours, with negotiations scheduled to continue Wednesday.
Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service and leader of Kyiv’s delegation, confirmed that representatives from all three countries had entered formal discussions after preliminary consultations with American and European officials.
“We have moved to a trilateral negotiation format involving Ukraine, the United States and Russia,” Umerov said, according to The Associated Press.
The negotiations represent the latest attempt to resolve Europe’s largest military conflict since World War II, although significant differences remain between Moscow and Kyiv over territory, security arrangements and the conditions for ending hostilities.
Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff are leading the American diplomatic effort.
Before the meeting, Kushner expressed hope that negotiators could identify areas of agreement despite the longstanding disagreements between the warring governments.
He said the American delegation was pursuing a settlement designed to provide lasting security for Ukraine while addressing broader concerns about European stability.
Kushner also said he believed there were “some good ideas how to bridge” the differences between Russia and Ukraine.
The American delegation began Tuesday’s diplomatic activities with separate discussions involving Ukrainian officials and representatives from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, NATO and the European Commission.
Those consultations were intended to coordinate Western positions before the Ukrainian and Russian delegations met directly.
According to ABC News’ coverage of the negotiations, Umerov was joined by Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office, and Davyd Arakhamia, leader of Zelenskyy’s parliamentary party.
The Russian delegation is led by Kremlin adviser Vladimir Medinsky and includes Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, presidential aide Yuri Ushakov and Igor Kostyukov, head of Russia’s military intelligence agency.
The presence of senior intelligence, diplomatic and security officials reflects the broad scope of the discussions, which extend beyond an immediate ceasefire to potential long-term security arrangements.
The United Arab Emirates confirmed that Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan attended the opening of the negotiations.
In an official statement issued Tuesday, the UAE Foreign Ministry described the meeting as the third round of trilateral discussions hosted by the country.
Sheikh Abdullah welcomed the renewed diplomatic engagement and expressed hope that the delegations would make progress toward ending the conflict.
The UAE government also praised Trump’s role in bringing the parties together and reaffirmed its willingness to facilitate further discussions.
The negotiations follow several earlier rounds of U.S.-mediated talks that produced limited results.
Previous discussions facilitated prisoner exchanges and temporary localized ceasefires but failed to resolve the central disputes preventing a comprehensive peace agreement.
The most significant disagreement concerns Russia’s territorial demands.
Russian President Vladimir Putin insists that Ukraine withdraw its forces from Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, four regions that Moscow declared annexed in September 2022 despite not exercising complete military control over them.
The Russian government also demands that Ukraine abandon its ambition to join NATO, accept restrictions on its armed forces and change policies involving the Russian language and the Moscow-affiliated Orthodox Church.
Zelenskyy’s government rejects territorial concessions imposed by Moscow and insists that Ukraine retain the military capabilities necessary to defend itself against another invasion.
Kyiv also wants credible international security guarantees to prevent renewed Russian attacks after any ceasefire or settlement.
According to Deutsche Welle’s analysis of the negotiations, Ukraine’s priorities include an energy infrastructure ceasefire, restoring access to the Black Sea, expanding prisoner exchanges and preparing for possible direct talks between Trump, Putin and Zelenskyy.
The Ukrainian government has argued that an immediate ceasefire should precede negotiations over a permanent settlement.
Moscow has resisted an unconditional halt to fighting, maintaining that any agreement must first address what it describes as the underlying causes of the conflict.
Another issue involves the future security structure of Europe.
American negotiators have proposed discussions involving Russia and European governments that could establish a broader framework for managing military tensions.
Russia has welcomed the idea of discussing European security alongside the war in Ukraine.
However, European officials have expressed concern that negotiations could produce arrangements affecting NATO countries without sufficient participation by those governments.
Moscow initially opposed European involvement in the trilateral negotiations, although Russian officials have indicated that European representatives could participate in later stages.
The disagreements come as fighting continues across Ukraine despite the diplomatic initiative.
Russian forces have intensified missile and drone attacks against Ukrainian energy infrastructure as winter approaches, damaging power generation and transmission facilities.
Ukrainian forces have responded with long-range drone strikes against Russian oil refineries and other facilities supporting Moscow’s war effort.
The conflict remains concentrated along a front line stretching approximately 750 miles, where neither side has secured a decisive military breakthrough.
Russian and Ukrainian authorities reported additional drone attacks overnight before the Abu Dhabi meeting.
The continuing military operations underscore the difficulty of reaching an agreement while both governments maintain conflicting battlefield objectives.
Trump expressed optimism Monday that the diplomatic initiative could produce progress.
Speaking about the negotiations, the president said Washington was engaged in productive discussions and suggested that both countries had grown weary of the prolonged conflict.
“Ukraine and Russia are tired of fighting. They’re tired of seeing dead young soldiers,” Trump said, according to ABC News.
The administration has made ending the war a major foreign policy objective, pursuing direct contacts with Moscow and Kyiv while seeking support from European governments.
However, negotiations have repeatedly stalled over Russia’s territorial demands and Ukraine’s insistence on sovereignty and credible security protections.
The renewed discussions come nearly five years after Russian troops launched their full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022.
The conflict has killed and wounded large numbers of soldiers and civilians, displaced millions of Ukrainians and caused extensive destruction to homes, transportation networks and energy infrastructure.
Western governments have provided Ukraine with military and financial assistance while imposing sanctions on Russia.
The United States remains central to diplomatic efforts because of its military support for Kyiv and its ability to negotiate directly with Moscow.
Tuesday’s negotiations concluded without an announced ceasefire or comprehensive settlement.
Officials from the participating countries indicated that discussions would resume Wednesday, with security guarantees and broader proposals for ending the war remaining central to the agenda.
The resumption of direct talks represents a renewed diplomatic opportunity, but the opposing territorial and security demands leave substantial obstacles before Russia and Ukraine can reach a lasting agreement.
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