U.S. envoys joined Ukrainian and Russian negotiators in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, Nov. 10, for the first round of three-way talks since February. The two-day meeting puts Washington back at the table with both sides. Ukraine says it will propose steps to reduce the fighting and seek a path to a meeting between the countries' leaders. Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service said the first day had concluded and that the negotiators would return Wednesday morning. The delegations had announced no ceasefire at the end of Tuesday’s session.
The U.S. side includes envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Rustem Umerov, Ukraine's foreign intelligence chief and lead negotiator, said his delegation had moved into the three-way session after consultations with European and NATO representatives. Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, leads Moscow's delegation. The meeting is between negotiating teams. No meeting of presidents has been announced.
Where Europe fits in
Officials from Britain, France, Germany and Italy joined separate consultations in Abu Dhabi with representatives of NATO and the European Commission. Umerov said the U.S. envoys also took part in that meeting. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday that Ukraine would meet its European partners in separate formats while the United States, Ukraine and Russia hold their own talks. Russia has opposed a European seat at the three-way meeting. Kyiv argues that European governments need to take part in discussions that would affect their own security, including what guarantees Ukraine would receive after the war.
For Washington, that distinction matters because convening a negotiation and securing commitments from other governments are separate steps. The three delegations can discuss reducing attacks or arranging another meeting in Abu Dhabi. Broader security commitments would also depend on what the countries expected to provide them are willing to do. Ukraine has asked for postwar security guarantees and resources for reconstruction.
Territory remains a sticking point
Moscow has demanded that Ukraine give up the entire Donbas, including territory Russia has failed to capture. Zelenskyy has rejected handing over land still controlled by Ukraine. The positions leave a narrower set of possible results from the opening round, such as agreement to keep negotiating or a commitment on a specific measure to reduce the fighting.
The United Arab Emirates hosted earlier rounds in January and February. In April, it announced a separate prisoner exchange involving 175 captives from each side. The delegations are scheduled to meet through Wednesday, Nov. 11.
