Ukraine to hold separate talks with European partners as Abu Dhabi negotiations resume
Ukraine, Russia and the United States began a second day of trilateral peace negotiations in Abu Dhabi on November 11, with Ukrainian officials planning separate talks with European partners afterward.
Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service and a member of the Ukrainian delegation, announced the schedule.
"We are starting the second day of negotiations. First, we will hold a trilateral meeting with the United States and Russia. After that, we will have a meeting with our European partners," Umerov wrote.
The talks began on November 10. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the first day as "constructive and quite substantive," although no breakthrough or agreement to end the fighting has been announced.
One of the issues under discussion is a possible large-scale prisoner exchange. Zelenskyy said the exchange could involve 1,000 or 1,500 prisoners from each side.
The negotiations also cover ways to end hostilities and future European security arrangements. US special envoy Steve Witkoff said the parties discussed how existing European security institutions and agreements could evolve after the war.
The European Commission has stressed that any future agreement must respect Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity and freedom to make its own decisions, while providing credible security guarantees.
The Ukrainian delegation includes Umerov, Presidential Office head Kyrylo Budanov, lawmaker Davyd Arakhamia, Deputy Foreign Minister Serhii Kyslytsia and military intelligence official Vadym Skibitskyi.
The US delegation includes Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Russia is represented by senior Kremlin and diplomatic officials, including Vladimir Medinsky and Yuri Ushakov.
The previous round of trilateral talks took place in Geneva in February 2026.