US to mediate Russia and Ukraine peace talks in Abu Dhabi next week

The United States will bring delegations from Ukraine and Russia together in the United Arab Emirates next week for a renewed round of trilateral peace negotiations aimed at ending Moscow's war, according to US special envoy Steve Witkoff. The diplomatic push, scheduled for November 10–11, marks the first time the three parties will sit down for working-level talks since negotiations stalled in February, when diplomatic momentum was interrupted by the outbreak of conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran. As The Guardian reports, the upcoming discussions will tackle post-war security agreements, de-escalation, humanitarian measures, and paths toward ending the war, following a meeting between Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg in late October.

The diplomatic announcement arrives against a backdrop of intensifying violence across the region. According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Russian forces launched a massive overnight wave of drone and missile strikes targeting energy infrastructure across multiple Ukrainian regions, alongside a deadly strike in the Zaporizhzhia region. Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones struck an oil refinery in the Russian city of Yaroslavl. Despite the hostilities, the The Moscow Times notes that the Kremlin confirmed its delegation would attend next week, with presidential adviser Vladimir Medinsky returning as Moscow's chief negotiator.

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US Sets Nov. 10-11 Ukraine-Russia Talks in Abu Dhabi as Trump Pushes for Peace Deal

Before the Abu Dhabi sessions, US negotiators are slated to meet in Brussels with officials from France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and NATO. According to Newscord, those consultations will focus on security guarantees for Ukraine, Europe's post-war security architecture, and economic opportunities for reconstruction. Reuters reported via Kyivpost that the US delegation in the United Arab Emirates is expected to feature Witkoff alongside Jared Kushner.

Regional divisions have also emerged over diplomatic outreach. As EU Today reports, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre held a direct phone call with Putin ahead of the talks, sparking debate among European capitals over individual diplomatic initiatives versus a unified European stance.

As the diplomatic track moves forward, readers can look to several developments in the coming days:

• The Brussels coordination meetings between US negotiators and European allies ahead of the Middle East summit.
• The arrival of the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Abu Dhabi for the November 10–11 working sessions.
• Potential updates regarding localized trilateral arrangements, humanitarian corridors, and further prisoner exchanges.

For related background, see World coverage, ongoing updates on Oleshky residents returning after the Trump-mediated ceasefire, and reports on Nordic leaders holding rare calls with Vladimir Putin.