Ukraine, Russia and US begin peace talks in Abu Dhabi after consultations with European allies

Ukraine's delegation, led by Rustem Umerov and presidential chief of staff Kyrylo Budanov, held consultations with U.S. and European representatives before the trilateral meeting.

The preliminary discussions included U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, as well as representatives of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, NATO and the European Commission.

Following the meeting, the European Commission stressed that any future agreements must respect Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence in decision-making, while providing credible security guarantees.

The parties also discussed how existing European security institutions and arrangements could develop after the war. Witkoff shared the statement.

A source familiar with the talks told hromadske that the meeting with European representatives had gone well and that participants were in a working mood.

Ukraine's delegation also includes lawmaker Davyd Arakhamia, diplomat Sergiy Kyslytsya and military intelligence official Vadym Skibitskyi.

Russia's delegation includes presidential aides Vladimir Medinsky and Yuri Ushakov, military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov, and Deputy Foreign Ministers Mikhail Galuzin and Sergei Ryabkov.

Bloomberg previously reported that Moscow had upgraded the level of its delegation, potentially signaling a willingness to engage in more substantive discussions.

However, the Institute for the Study of War cautioned that several Russian representatives had previously been involved in efforts to delay negotiations, questioning Moscow's willingness to negotiate in good faith.

The talks are scheduled to continue through Nov. 11. No agreements have been announced.