Russia and Ukraine held talks in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday 10 November, mediated by the United States, according to a report carried by WUNC. The first session lasted about four hours, with a second day scheduled for Wednesday. The report describes them as the first US-mediated Russia–Ukraine talks in nine months and the first three-way meeting since February.
According to the report, Russia sent chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky, two deputy foreign ministers and its military intelligence chief, while Ukraine was represented by Rustem Umerov and Kyrylo Budanov. Jared Kushner and envoy Steve Witkoff attended for Washington. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking in Paris, called the talks “very productive” but urged patience, and President Zelenskyy called the session “constructive and quite substantive”. Discussion reportedly centred on humanitarian questions, including prisoner exchanges, the return of civilians and children, and security guarantees. A senior Ukrainian official said a large prisoner swap had been discussed, with details expected in the coming days.
The positions each side has stated publicly remain distant. The report says Russia wants Ukraine to withdraw from four annexed regions, give up its NATO bid and accept military limits, and prefers a comprehensive deal to a general ceasefire. Kyiv rejects ceding territory or limits on its forces and wants an immediate ceasefire first. Fighting continued meanwhile: Ukraine said Russia launched 162 drones and a ballistic missile overnight, while Russia said it downed 155 Ukrainian drones.
Reporting note: This account relies on a single outlet, and the casualty and drone figures are the claims of the two militaries, not independently verified. The outcome of the second day of talks was not available when this was written.
Photo: comedian44 / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
