Russia, Ukraine and the U.S. are back at the table in Abu Dhabi. Who is in the room, what each side wants, and what not to expect

Short answer: U.S.-mediated talks between Russia and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi ended Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, after two days, the first three-way session since February. The one concrete result was an agreement in principle on a large prisoner exchange, with numbers due Nov. 12. There was no ceasefire or territorial breakthrough, and U.S. envoys Witkoff and Kushner head to Moscow next.

Key facts (updated Nov. 10, 2026, about 4:20 p.m. CT; developing) - Day one: ended after more than four hours; talks resume Wednesday, Nov. 11. Zelenskyy called the session "constructive and quite substantive"; Rubio called it "very productive." No ceasefire or deal announced (Kyiv Independent, Guardian live). - When and where: opened Tuesday in Abu Dhabi, scheduled through Wednesday, Nov. 11 (Fox News, Kyiv Independent). - Host: UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed attended the launch (WAM, UAE state news agency). - Russia: Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky leads; deputy foreign ministers Sergei Ryabkov and Mikhail Galuzin and military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov are on the team. - Ukraine: intelligence chief Rustem Umerov leads, with presidential chief of staff Kyrylo Budanov and lawmaker Davyd Arakhamia. - The U.S. ask: security guarantees for Ukraine "effectively very similar to NATO," a U.S. official said. - The gap: Donetsk. Moscow wants the rest of it; Kyiv wants to freeze the line.

What was agreed on day two?

Updated Nov. 11, 2026, about 7:05 a.m. CT. The talks ended Wednesday with an agreement in principle on a large prisoner exchange and no breakthrough on a ceasefire or territory, Euronews reported from Abu Dhabi. "One of the positives is we agreed that we're going to have the biggest humanitarian release of prisoners, which we're going to finalise the numbers tomorrow," Kushner said, per Euronews. Umerov and Medinsky also confirmed the planned exchange, but neither gave its timing or size.

The numbers aren't set. Zelenskyy said Tuesday that negotiators had discussed 1,000 prisoners from each side, possibly rising to 1,500 each, Euronews reported; the Kyiv Independent also reported a 1,000-for-1,000 or 1,500-for-1,500 format had been raised.

Next: Kushner said he and Witkoff would travel to Moscow on Thursday, Nov. 12, to meet Putin, then go to Dublin to brief Zelenskyy, who is attending an informal EU leaders' meeting on Nov. 13 (Kyiv Independent, Euronews). "We see some openings and some opportunities," Kushner said, per the Kyiv Independent. Medinsky told reporters Russia's delegation had not talked with the European officials in Abu Dhabi: "We don't really understand in what capacity they are here," he said, per Euronews.

What happened on day one?

Updated Nov. 10, 2026, about 4:20 p.m. CT. The three delegations ended the first day after more than four hours of talks, a spokesperson for Ukraine's delegation head Rustem Umerov told reporters, according to the Kyiv Independent. Umerov's press service said talks continue Wednesday, Nov. 11.

Zelenskyy called the session "constructive and quite substantive," citing his delegation's report, and said the sides discussed "possible parameters for humanitarian steps" and "the need for de-escalation steps." "The release of prisoners is a priority," he said, per the Kyiv Independent. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the talks "very productive," the Guardian's live coverage reported, adding that the talks broke up after four hours. No ceasefire, prisoner exchange or joint statement had been announced as of our update.

Who is at the table?

Three delegations, with the UAE as host. WAM, the UAE government's news agency, said Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed attended the launch of what it called the "third round of trilateral talks" and passed on greetings from UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed to Presidents Trump, Putin and Zelenskyy.

• United States: special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law, are mediating.
• Russia: presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, who took part in earlier talks with Ukraine in 2022 and 2025, heads the delegation. The Kyiv Independent, BBC and Daily Wire list deputy foreign ministers Sergei Ryabkov and Mikhail Galuzin, military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov and General Staff officer Yury Zhigarlovsky.
• Ukraine: Rustem Umerov, head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, leads. The same outlets list Kyrylo Budanov, head of the President's Office, and Davyd Arakhamia, who leads Zelenskyy's party in parliament. The Kyiv Independent adds Serhii Kyslytsia and military intelligence deputy chief Vadym Skibitsky.

"The agenda includes key questions related to ending hostilities and moving closer to peace," Umerov wrote, according to the Kyiv Independent.

Why now, after nine months?

The last trilateral round, in Geneva in February, ended without a breakthrough, the BBC and Kyiv Independent report. The BBC says the U.S.-Israel war on Iran then pulled Washington's attention away, and no talks were held since. Trump told CBS's "60 Minutes," in an interview that aired Nov. 8, that Ukraine could end up "a little bit different shape," per the Kyiv Independent and Fox News.

What is the U.S. proposing?

Two things, as officials describe them: guarantees for Ukraine, and a new security framework for Europe.

On guarantees, a U.S. official on a background call said Washington has asked Russia to accept "an Article Four and an Article Five-like security guarantee" for Ukraine that would be "effectively very similar to NATO," Fox News and the Guardian reported. Fox reported that Trump has not decided what guarantee the U.S. itself would give.

Kushner set out four priorities in a statement quoted by the Daily Wire: "ending the fighting, developing credible postwar security guarantees and arrangements that reduce the risk of renewed conflict, preparing a comprehensive economic and prosperity plan for Ukraine, and advancing humanitarian measures."

On Europe, the BBC reports the U.S. framework includes security consultations, crisis-communication hotlines and "reciprocal de-escalation measures," and that officials floated reviving the NATO-Russia Council. The Guardian adds that a U.S. official raised possibly lifting sanctions on Russia to reach a deal.

Where are the sides on territory?

Still apart in public. Moscow wants Ukraine to give up the parts of Donetsk it still holds; Kyiv wants to freeze the current contact line (BBC, Fox News). A U.S. official said both had shown "a little bit of flexibility privately," but added, as quoted by the BBC: "They will not solve the Donetsk issue and the territorial issue until they know what the security architecture is going to be after the war."

U.S. negotiators don't expect to settle territory this week, Fox reported. Arakhamia has said he doesn't expect a breakthrough in the first round, the Kyiv Independent reported. It said Kyiv hopes to discuss prisoner exchanges and a possible maritime and energy ceasefire.

Where is Europe?

Next door, not at the trilateral table. Before the three-way session, European officials met the Ukrainian and U.S. teams. In a joint statement quoted by the Guardian, they agreed that "any future arrangements must respect sovereignty, territorial integrity, independent decision-making, and provide credible security guarantees for Ukraine." The Daily Wire reported Moscow says Europeans won't take part in the trilateral negotiations themselves. The BBC quoted a U.S. official saying Washington will propose moving to a multilateral format that includes the Europeans.

How is each side covering it?

• Left-leaning outlets stressed the risks to Europe. The Guardian led with the U.S. aim of a "final end" to the war and its proposed "long-term security architecture" between Russia and Europe. It gave space to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who told Reuters Russia has been "pretending" to negotiate. The Washington Post wrote that observers described the expected broad discussion of European security as "a risky nod to a key Russian goal."
• Right-leaning outlets stressed the deal-making. Fox News led with private flexibility on territory and the "Article Five-like" guarantee. The Daily Wire built its story around Kushner's four priorities and his European framework.
• Common ground: the date, place and delegations; security guarantees at the center; Donetsk unresolved; no one forecasting a final deal this week.

We are not predicting the outcome. The session ended Nov. 11 with a prisoner-exchange agreement in principle; we'll update this page when the exchange numbers are announced or after the envoys' Moscow meeting.

Sources

• WAM (UAE), Abdullah bin Zayed attends launch of trilateral talks, Nov. 10
• Kyiv Independent, talks resume after 9-month pause, Nov. 10
• BBC News, talks resume with "some flexibility," Nov. 10
• The Guardian, US officials seek "final end" to war, Nov. 10
• The Washington Post, Russia and Ukraine begin U.S.-backed talks, Nov. 10
• Fox News, Kushner enters Ukraine peace talks, Nov. 10
• The Daily Wire, Kushner sets four priorities, Nov. 9
• Euronews, talks end with prisoner exchange agreement, Nov. 11
• Kyiv Independent, envoys to travel to Moscow, Nov. 11

Photo: Sabithnav, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped). The Abu Dhabi skyline from the Corniche, December 2023. File photo; not a photo of the talks.

Drafted with AI assistance from primary sources. Written and edited by The Whole Read newsroom under Monsaur Othman's editorial standards. Read how we use AI, our editorial policy and our corrections policy.