Ukraine and Russia report significant differences after two days of Abu Dhabi talks

Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine's delegation in Abu Dhabi, wrote on social media on 11 November that the two sides presented their positions directly during two days of talks mediated by the United States, and that significant differences remain. He added that there are still possibilities to continue the negotiation process. The source reports no significant progress on a ceasefire, territorial disputes or long-term security guarantees. The Ukrainian team is staying in the Emirati capital for separate meetings with European and American representatives.

Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation, also said the talks could go on. He said the two countries reached an agreement on a large prisoner exchange. He added that the trilateral talks, which include Ukraine, Russia and the United States, focused on the need for a new security architecture for Europe, and said the current system performs very poorly.

In a speech to parliament in Kyiv on the same day, President Volodymyr Zelensky insisted that Europe must take part in future Ukraine peace negotiations and called for the closest possible coordination among European countries. US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are scheduled to travel to Moscow on Thursday, 12 November, to meet President Vladimir Putin, and then to Dublin to meet Zelensky.