Talks In Abu Dhabi: What Ukraine, The US, And Russia Have Already Agreed On
Today, the second round of Ukraine-US-Russia talks begins in Abu Dhabi. As Rustem Umerov reported, following the trilateral meeting, the Ukrainian delegation will hold separate talks with European partners.
A halt to hostilities, a prisoner-of-war exchange, security guarantees, and the possibility of a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin — key issues of the trilateral Ukraine-US-Russia talks in Abu Dhabi. The first day of consultations lasted around 4.5 hours. The Ukrainian side called the meeting constructive, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it productive, UATV English reports.
The Ukrainian delegation at the talks is led by Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service. It also includes Office of the President head Kyrylo Budanov, his first deputy Serhii Kyslytsya, “Servant of the People” parliamentary faction leader Davyd Arakhamiia, and Deputy Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense Vadym Skibitsky.
The United States is represented by US presidential special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The Russian delegation is led by Putin aide Vladimir Medinsky. It also includes Russian deputy foreign ministers Sergei Ryabkov and Mikhail Galuzin, Russian military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov, and a representative of the Russian Armed Forces General Staff, Zhigarlovsky.
Before the start of the trilateral consultations, the Ukrainian delegation held a meeting with representatives of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, NATO, and the European Commission.
According to Umerov, Ukraine seeks to achieve concrete results on ending the war and ensuring long-term security.
“Our key priorities are a halt to hostilities, reliable post-war security guarantees, economic recovery and development for Ukraine, and humanitarian steps. We’re working to advance as far as possible on these issues and bring peace closer,” the head of the Ukrainian delegation noted on Telegram.
After approximately four and a half hours of talks, the parties took a break until the next meeting.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that the first day of consultations was substantive. In particular, the delegations discussed humanitarian issues, the release of prisoners, security guarantees, and possible steps to reduce tensions.
“The trilateral format proved constructive and fairly substantive. We managed to discuss the needs and possible parameters of humanitarian measures. Releasing prisoners is a priority. We talked in detail about the content of Ukraine’s security guarantees and the basis for their long-term functioning. Real tools are needed to prevent any repeat of the war. The topic of the need for de-escalation steps was also discussed,” the head of state stated.
Zelenskyy emphasized that he set concrete tasks for the Ukrainian negotiating team for further dialogue — both in the trilateral format and during consultations with US and European representatives.
“The main thing is to genuinely bring peace closer, and on Ukraine’s part there will only be productive, high-quality, honest work,” the president emphasized.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also gave a positive assessment of the first day of talks, calling the meeting “very productive.” At the same time, he cautioned that the parties still have a lot of work ahead to achieve peace.
According to Rubio, the diplomatic process must involve not only a halt to hostilities, but also the creation of security guarantees that would prevent renewed Russian aggression against Ukraine.
“This isn’t a problem that can be solved within the next 24 hours. But it’s genuinely important that the Europeans are taking part in the talks. They’ll be discussing issues with our representatives, working closely with Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, who have accompanied the process at every stage. Our goal is to eventually expand this trilateral format, so that not only the US, Ukraine, and Russia are represented at the negotiating table, but also Europeans, who will directly take part in the dialogue,” the US secretary of state stated.
The European Commission confirmed its intention to continue close coordination with Ukraine and the United States throughout the negotiation process.
The European Commission’s statement emphasizes that any future arrangements must respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as its right to make its own decisions.
“Participants emphasized that any future arrangements must be based on respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the right to independent decision-making, and must provide Ukraine with reliable security guarantees,” the European Commission’s statement reads.
Brussels also noted that the goal of this cooperation is to create a practical system of guarantees that will strengthen Ukraine’s long-term security and contribute to achieving a peaceful settlement.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin declined to comment on the results of the first day of talks. Putin’s press secretary stated that the Russian side would not provide additional explanations regarding the course of the meeting.
It was previously reported that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the talks in Abu Dhabi productive, but emphasized that peace is still far off. He also stressed the importance of European partners’ participation in the diplomatic process.
Read also: Zelenskyy Meets Nordic Leaders in Copenhagen to Discuss Peace Efforts and Winter Support for Ukraine
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11 of November 2026
