Delegations from Russia, Ukraine and the United States opened two days of talks in Abu Dhabi on November 10, 2026. Security guarantees, de-escalation, humanitarian efforts and prospects for a wider settlement were on the agenda. It was the first meeting in this three-way format since February, and it restarts Washington’s effort to end the war.
What Happened in Abu Dhabi
The United Arab Emirates hosted the session in its capital. U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff led the American side. Kushner is President Donald Trump’s son-in-law. Before the talks began, the White House said security guarantees would be the focus.
Ahead of the three-way meeting, the U.S. team met national security officials from Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Italy, along with NATO, the European Union and Ukraine. Those talks covered security guarantees and how European security would be arranged after the war.
The first day of talks ended after nearly four hours. Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service said the delegations would resume on Wednesday, November 11, 2026. Russia and Ukraine both reported more drone attacks overnight before the Abu Dhabi meeting.
Who Is at the Table
Kyiv’s delegation is led by Rustem Umerov, the head of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service. He thanked Washington for its efforts and said he hoped the meeting “will allow us to advance on the path towards peace in the interests of the people of Russia and the people of Ukraine”.
Moscow’s chief negotiator is Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to President Vladimir Putin. He has led Moscow’s team since the first direct peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul in March 2022. Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin is also part of the Russian team.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not attend. He was visiting Denmark on November 10.
Why Security Guarantees Matter
The two sides want very different things on security. Russia sees NATO as a threat, and Ukraine wants to prevent future Russian invasions. Zelenskyy refuses to accept any limits on Ukraine’s armed forces or on its arrangements with Western partners. Kyiv sees those arrangements as protection against another invasion.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov welcomed the agenda. He said Moscow could “only welcome the (U.S.) negotiators on President Donald Trump’s request proposing to put the issue of collective security on top of the agenda”. France said Ukraine cannot have lasting peace unless European security is also addressed, and that this means Europeans must take part.
Territory is still the hardest issue. Zelenskyy rejects Putin’s demands to voluntarily cede territory that Russia hasn’t been able to take on the battlefield.
Background: The 2026 Rounds So Far
The war began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. This is the fourth round of three-way talks in 2026. The first two rounds also took place in Abu Dhabi, on January 23–24 and February 4–5. These were the first meetings between the three countries since the war started in February 2022.
A main point of dispute in those early rounds was Russia’s demand that Ukraine withdraw from the parts of Donbas it still controlled. Ukraine refused. Russia also repeatedly rejected the presence of Western troops in Ukraine.
The third round was held in Geneva on February 17–18, 2026. Shortly before it, at the Munich Security Conference, Zelenskyy said the US was offering security guarantees lasting 15 years as part of a peace deal, but Ukraine wanted them to last more than 20 years.
What to Watch Next
Kushner has said a full settlement will need Moscow to talk directly with European governments. He wrote that a “comprehensive and lasting settlement will also require direct engagement between Russia and our European partners on the broader security arrangements that affect them.” He also said the Abu Dhabi talks would prepare for that engagement “to begin in the near future, as part of a broader multilateral process”.
FAQ
– Why are the talks being held in Abu Dhabi?
The United Arab Emirates hosted the session in its capital. It also hosted the first two rounds of three-way talks in January and February 2026.
– Are European countries part of the talks?
Not at the three-way table, but they were consulted first. Before meeting Russia and Ukraine, U.S. negotiators met security officials from Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Italy, as well as NATO and the European Union.