US to Mediate Ukraine-Russia Talks in Abu Dhabi

The United States will mediate a new round of talks in Abu Dhabi between Ukraine and Russia on November 10 and 11, according to an announcement made by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff on Monday, November 2. This will be the first meeting of its kind mediated by Washington since February, when the parties met in Geneva.

• The conversations will be at a technical level and will address security guarantees for the post-war period, de-escalation, and humanitarian measures, according to Witkoff.
• Russia is maintaining Vladimir Medinski as its chief negotiator and says that guarantees «can only be reciprocal,» according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
• Europeans will not participate in Abu Dhabi: the agreed-upon format includes only Russia, Ukraine, and the US.

Why it matters: the process had been stalled since February, and this round will test whether Kiev and Moscow can move beyond prisoner exchanges to discuss security guarantees.

Who will be at the table

Witkoff wrote on X that the United States will mediate «technical-level» conversations to «advance President Trump’s mission to end the war.» According to the official, Washington wants to build on the progress made in meetings in Kiev, Oslo, and St. Petersburg to achieve a «comprehensive and lasting peace agreement» that «guarantees security for future generations.»

A senior US official cited by Reuters indicated that Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to represent the US. This week, US negotiators will also meet in Brussels with France, Germany, the UK, the EU, and NATO to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine, the future European security architecture, and the country’s reconstruction.

According to Reuters, Russian President Vladimir Putin accepted a new round after meeting with Witkoff in St. Petersburg in October. Previous conversations had been interrupted before the US and Israel launched a war against Iran.

What the Kremlin says

On Tuesday, November 3, Peskov confirmed that Presidential Adviser Vladimir Medinski will continue as Russia’s chief negotiator. Medinski led the 2025 rounds in Istanbul and the one in Geneva. Ukraine accused him of slowing down the conversations, and both the US and Europe requested a higher-ranking representative. According to EFE, those rounds yielded few results, beyond prisoner exchanges and the exchange of fallen soldiers’ bodies.

Peskov stated that the parties will discuss «matters related to security guarantees,» which, he said, «can only be reciprocal.» He explained that Europeans will not be present next week because the agreed-upon format includes only Russia, Ukraine, and the US. He added that «sooner or later» dialogue with them will be necessary, although he qualified this by saying: «It would be convenient to find out who we would be talking to.»

The war does not stop

On Monday, November 2, at least 24 people died in Komishuvaja, in the Zaporizhzhia region, in a Russian attack with about ten aerial bombs against a school where the population was receiving humanitarian aid, according to Ukraine’s Emergency Service. Among the dead are two rescuers and four police officers.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that «the attacks were directed against a school used for humanitarian purposes, people were receiving humanitarian aid there.»

Regarding another front of support for Kiev, you can consult what is known about the Patriot missiles authorized for Ukraine.

Why it matters

The round comes in a context of distant positions. Trump has maintained direct contact with Putin and promoted relief from energy sanctions on Moscow, while his relationship with Zelensky has deteriorated due to differences over the conditions for ending the war and the concessions requested from Ukraine.

This is added to the disagreement over who should participate. Washington talks about involving its European allies in security guarantees and reconstruction, while the Kremlin maintains that, for now, the format is three-party. What happens on November 10 and 11 will indicate whether the technical conversations achieve more than the humanitarian gestures of previous rounds.

What’s next

• This week: meeting in Brussels between US negotiators and representatives of France, Germany, the UK, the EU, and NATO.
• Tuesday, November 10, and Wednesday, November 11: technical conversations in Abu Dhabi with Russia, Ukraine, and the US.

Sources: EFE via Swissinfo; EFE via 20minutos; DW. Data consulted on November 3, 2026.