US says Russia-Ukraine talks to resume in Abu Dhabi on 10-11 Nov

US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said on Monday that a new round of trilateral peace talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States will take place in Abu Dhabi on 10 and 11 November. Writing on X, Witkoff said the discussions would cover "post-war security arrangements, de-escalation, humanitarian efforts, and next steps toward peace."

The meeting will be held at a working level, a senior US official told Serbian outlet Telegraf, with Witkoff and Jared Kushner representing Washington. Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to the new round of negotiations after meeting Witkoff in St Petersburg two weeks earlier, the official said.

Ahead of the Abu Dhabi meeting, US negotiators are due in Brussels this week to see officials from France, Germany, the UK, the European Union and NATO, to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine, the future security arrangements for Europe and economic support for rebuilding Ukraine, the official added.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that one or two rounds of technical talks could pave the way for a later trilateral summit bringing together himself, US President Donald Trump and Putin. The Ukrainian and Russian leaders have not held direct talks since Moscow's full-scale invasion began in February 2022, though both have said in October they are willing to meet, after separate meetings with Witkoff in Oslo and St Petersburg.

Russia has repeatedly rejected a full ceasefire and has demanded that Ukraine hand over the parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions that Russian troops have not captured, while Kyiv wants any truce to run along the current front line. Speaking at a G20 foreign ministers' meeting on 31 October, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he was not sure a negotiated peace was within reach. "I don't think anyone here is claiming that we're on the verge of a negotiated settlement," he told reporters.