United States mediators are scheduled to convene with representatives from Ukraine and Russia next week in Abu Dhabi for a new round of negotiations aimed at ending the ongoing war, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff announced Monday.
The upcoming sessions, slated for Nov. 10-11, represent the first face-to-face talks between the belligerent nations since February. According to Witkoff, the discussions will center on post-war security arrangements, humanitarian efforts, and subsequent steps required to achieve a permanent settlement.
“We look forward to building on the progress made in Kyiv, Oslo, and St. Petersburg toward a comprehensive, durable peace agreement that delivers lasting security for generations to come,” Witkoff stated on social media.
Ahead of the Abu Dhabi summit, U.S. negotiators are meeting this week in Brussels with officials from France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and NATO. Those preliminary discussions are designed to address security guarantees for Ukraine, economic backing for post-war reconstruction, and related matters.
The announcement of the upcoming diplomatic track follows a series of high-level meetings two weeks prior, during which Witkoff traveled to confer with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Oslo and Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg. During the St. Petersburg visit, Witkoff drew extensive criticism for referring to Putin as a “humanitarian.”
Ukrainian leadership has outlined specific expectations for the Abu Dhabi agenda, maintaining that discussions must incorporate immediate de-escalation measures. These include prisoner exchanges and ceasefires targeting energy infrastructure.
Meanwhile, diplomatic dynamics have shifted as President Donald Trump has pursued closer diplomatic ties with Moscow. The U.S. administration recently finalized an agreement to purchase oil from Russia while simultaneously criticizing Kyiv for launching drone strikes against Russian oil refineries.
In response to these tensions, Zelenskyy reported that Washington temporarily suspended Ukrainian access to vital intelligence and military technologies, including the Starshield satellite communications network.
