Ukraine peace talks resume in Abu Dhabi after nine-month pause
US, Russian and Ukrainian officials meet in Abu Dhabi on 10 and 11 November, the first three-way talks since February. What is on the table, and the snag.
Russia, Ukraine and the United States sat down for peace talks in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, 10 November, the first three-way round since February. The talks are scheduled for two days, and US officials say both sides have shown “some flexibility”, the BBC reported, even as Moscow rejected a temporary ceasefire.
Who is at the table?
Washington’s team is led by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, according to Axios. These are working-level talks between Russian, Ukrainian and American officials, with some European representatives also present, Hespress reported. The UAE is hosting, as it did for earlier rounds this year.
The White House is “cautiously optimistic”, Axios reported on Monday. After Abu Dhabi, Witkoff and Kushner may travel on to Moscow and Kyiv.
What are they talking about?
US envoys said the meetings could open discussion of “broader security arrangements” in Europe and the post-war security worries of both Kyiv and Moscow, according to Axios. In plain words: what guarantees Ukraine gets that Russia will not attack again, and what Russia gets in return about NATO and Western forces near its border.
The sticking point
Territory. Russia still demands that Ukraine pull its forces out of the Donbas region in the east, which Kyiv has refused. Russia also turned down proposals to freeze the fighting temporarily while talks go on, so the war continues during the negotiations.
Why it matters to Pakistan
The war has pushed up wheat, fertiliser and fuel prices around the world since 2022, and Pakistan has felt every one of those shocks. Pakistan’s Foreign Office this week again urged de-escalation in the Ukraine conflict, The Express Tribune reported. A deal would also free up attention in Washington, which is juggling Ukraine and the Iran war at the same time.
What to watch
The end of the second day on Wednesday, 11 November: whether the sides agree on a joint statement or a next round, and whether Witkoff and Kushner fly on to Moscow and Kyiv, which would be the clearest sign that progress was made.
