Negotiators from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States met in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, for their first trilateral peace talks in more than nine months.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hailed the initial discussions as "very productive" and called for the diplomatic format to expand to include European nations at the negotiating table, france24.com reported.
The closed-door meetings in the United Arab Emirates mark the resumption of direct diplomacy between Kyiv and Moscow since February 2026. The high-stakes delegations feature US officials led by envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, alongside Russian representatives led by Vladimir Medinsky and Ukrainian delegates led by Rustem Umerov, france24.com reported.
A Ukrainian delegation source confirmed to AFP that the first day of mediation concluded on Tuesday and would resume Wednesday morning.
Washington has pursued renewed diplomatic channels to broker an end to the nearly five-year war following an invasion by Moscow. US President Donald Trump stated last week that a broad deal to end the conflict and guarantee European security remains possible.
Speaking in Abu Dhabi, US envoy Jared Kushner emphasized that the diplomatic objective extends beyond immediate bilateral issues. The discussions aim to forge new security relationships between Ukraine, Russia, and Europe to secure lasting peace, france24.com reported.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that Moscow would not agree to an immediate ceasefire without a clear understanding of subsequent political developments. Lavrov argued that discussing the structural outlines of European security architecture must precede any formal truce in Ukraine, france24.com reported.
Meanwhile, French and Ukrainian officials meeting on the sidelines of a G7 summit in Paris welcomed Washington’s mediation efforts. Jean-Noel Barrot and his Ukrainian counterpart Andriy Sybiha voiced support for localized truces intended as initial stepping stones toward a complete and unconditional ceasefire, according to reporting from france24.com.
While diplomats gathered in the Middle East, conflict dynamics persisted across Eastern Europe. State grid operator Ukrenergo reported that Russian forces targeted energy infrastructure in eight Ukrainian regions overnight, causing localized power outages in Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv, france24.com reported.
Neighboring nations increased defense spending and military readiness to address infrastructure vulnerabilities. Britain announced a £90 million ($121 million) investment in drones and sensor technology to protect undersea cables and track nearby Russian submarines. Denmark pledged military equipment worth 4.8 billion Danish crowns ($720.98 million) to support Ukraine, as announced by Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky traveled to Denmark to coordinate air defense and energy security strategies with Nordic leaders.
US envoy Steve Witkoff noted that preliminary coordination meetings involved US, Ukrainian, and European officials discussing how post-war arrangements can build upon existing institutions while mitigating future conflict risks. A joint statement from participating Western and Ukrainian representatives reaffirmed that a strong NATO will remain central to Euro-Atlantic collective defense.
As trilateral discussions continue in Abu Dhabi, regional actors emphasize that any lasting diplomatic settlement must respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity and directly address comprehensive European security guarantees.
