What happened
The United States will mediate two days of working-level peace talks between Ukraine and Russia beginning November 10 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The discussions will address postwar security concerns and territorial issues, according to U.S. officials.
U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff will represent the United States during the negotiations. Kushner said in a social media post on November 9 that the objective is to bring both sides together to discuss postwar security concerns, proposals, and potential solutions directly.
The first session will focus on ceasefire monitoring and postwar security, while the second session will address territorial issues. U.S. officials said during a preview call that territorial disputes remain a central sticking point, with Russian President Vladimir Putin demanding full control of the entire Donetsk region as a precondition for any ceasefire.
One U.S. official indicated that both sides have privately signaled some flexibility, but a breakthrough on territory may depend on long-term security guarantees. Washington has asked Russia to agree to U.S. and NATO security guarantees for Ukraine similar to Articles 4 and 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. Trump will make the final decision on what U.S. security guarantees Ukraine receives.
Kushner also said European security cannot be decided without the European Union at the negotiation table, and the United States will seek to persuade Russia that European countries should be invited to future talks. U.S. envoys were expected to meet with officials from Ukraine, the EU, NATO, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Italy ahead of the trilateral meeting.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his team is ready to propose de-escalatory steps at the upcoming meeting and called for an understanding of how to arrange a trilateral meeting at the leaders' level. There is currently no timeline for a summit between Zelenskyy and Putin.
