U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff announced working-level talks between Ukraine and Russia set for Nov. 10 and 11 in Abu Dhabi. American negotiators are also meeting European allies in Brussels this week to discuss security guarantees.
The United States will mediate working-level talks between Ukrainian and Russian representatives in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 10 and 11, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff announced. CBS News reported that Witkoff posted the announcement on X on Tuesday night, while Fox News reported that the envoy made the statement on Monday.
Consultations with allies in Brussels
Witkoff stated that the talks in the United Arab Emirates will “focus on post-war security arrangements, de-escalation, humanitarian efforts, and next steps toward peace.” The sessions will involve working-level technocrats rather than senior diplomatic officials or national leaders.
Before traveling to the Middle East, American negotiators will hold meetings this week in Brussels with European allies and NATO representatives. Delegates from France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and NATO are taking part. The talks will cover post-war European security architecture, economic opportunities to support Ukrainian reconstruction, and future security guarantees for Kyiv. Obtaining binding security guarantees has been one of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s main conditions for any deal with Moscow.
Where diplomatic efforts stand
The Abu Dhabi meeting follows earlier rounds of diplomacy as the Trump administration attempts to negotiate an end to the war that began with Russia’s full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022. Nordic leaders recently conducted phone calls with the presidents of Russia and Ukraine ahead of planned talks in Abu Dhabi. Witkoff stated that the upcoming session is designed to build on prior negotiations held in Kyiv, Oslo, and St. Petersburg. In October, Russian officials indicated they were open to resume Ukraine war talks after Putin meeting with Witkoff.
“We look forward to building on the progress made in Kyiv, Oslo, and St. Petersburg toward a comprehensive, durable peace agreement that delivers lasting security for generations to come,” Witkoff said.
Past American-mediated meetings during Trump’s second term have produced prisoner exchanges and limited local agreements, but deep disagreements persist over territory. Russian President Vladimir Putin has refused to abandon demands that Ukraine accept Russia’s unilateral annexation of occupied regions, even after controversial concessions from the Trump administration.
European allies and Zelenskyy have rejected legitimizing any Russian land grab. Zelenskyy has stated that he is open to freezing front lines if his country receives security guarantees. Trump said last month that peace efforts were perhaps the closest they had ever been, adding that he believed both sides wanted the war to end after years of heavy casualties.
Brief truce followed by heavy strikes
The diplomatic announcement followed a rare, localized ceasefire in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region that ended on Sunday. Both sides credited that brief pause to U.S. first lady Melania Trump and Pope Leo. The truce allowed aid deliveries to reach the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky and enabled an unspecified number of residents to evacuate.
Heavy fighting continued across the rest of the country during and after the Kherson pause. Russian forces launched widespread strikes across Ukraine overnight into Tuesday. In the southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia, local authorities said an attack on a village killed at least 29 people. In the northeastern city of Kharkiv, regional officials said a Russian strike damaged a medical facility, injuring 25 people and forcing the evacuation of roughly 200 patients.
Russia’s defense ministry said Tuesday that its forces conducted a massive strike against Ukrainian energy installations and port infrastructure in the Odesa region. Meanwhile, Moscow’s mayor said air defense units shot down 500 Ukrainian drones headed toward the capital overnight.
