The first three-way peace talks between the United States, Russia and Ukraine since February open in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, after a senior U.S. official said both Moscow and Kyiv have privately shown flexibility on a possible exchange of territory.
The official briefed reporters Monday on condition of anonymity, Al Jazeera reported. Globe TV, citing a Reuters account of the same briefing, said the official told reporters both delegations “have signalled in private that a trade of territory is possible.” Neither government has said so publicly.
Self Reliance Central reported Monday on Europe’s request for a seat at the table. The talks now start without the Europeans in the room, and the same U.S. official said special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner could travel to Russia afterward to meet Vladimir Putin.
Who is at the table?
Witkoff and Kushner lead the U.S. side. Ukraine’s delegation is again led by Rustem Umerov, according to the Kyiv Independent. Russia’s team is headed by Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky and includes Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, Al Jazeera reported. The talks are scheduled to run through Wednesday.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the format plainly. “What will take place in Abu Dhabi in the coming days is trilateral negotiations between Russia and Ukraine with US mediation,” he said. France, Germany and the European Commission are sending officials to Abu Dhabi, but Russia has made clear it does not want them in the negotiations.
Before the talks, Kushner and Witkoff met with representatives of Ukraine, the EU, NATO, Germany, France, Britain and Italy, the Ukrainian news agency UNN reported.
What is on the table
Kushner listed four priorities, UNN reported: ending the hostilities, security guarantees after the war, an economic development plan, and humanitarian steps, including the return of prisoners and civilians. He said the goal is to “identify common ground” and “provide momentum for moving to the next stage of negotiations.”
The U.S. official said security guarantees will be a central topic, including the possibility of a defense commitment modeled on Article 5 of the NATO treaty, according to Al Jazeera. Any land deal would most likely come at the end, once a postwar security framework is settled.
The gap on territory is wide. Ukraine wants Russia pushed back to the original border, and Putin wants all of the Donbas region.
One sign of cooperation
Ukraine and Russia agreed to a large-scale prisoner swap following the second round of U.S.-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
Ukraine and Russia agreed to a large-scale prisoner swap following the second round of U.S.-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. https://t.co/m0uuNuf7nI
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) November 11, 2026
What the leaders are saying
President Trump said he sees a “very strong inclination” toward ending the war and that both sides are “tired of fighting,” Al Jazeera reported. “We’re having a very good conversation about that in Abu Dhabi,” he said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the process has “a ways to go.” “We’ll keep trying,” he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address Monday that Ukrainian forces “are currently genuinely strengthening Ukraine’s negotiating position.” He said Russia is suffering record losses, a claim Moscow disputes. “It is important that the United States convince Russia of precisely this,” he said.
The bottom line
Nine months after the last round in Geneva, the President has Russian and Ukrainian negotiators back at the same table, with an American official reporting that both sides will discuss land.
Kushner’s agenda puts security guarantees and the return of prisoners ahead of borders, which is the right order. A ceasefire that Russia can break at will is worth little, and a guarantee strong enough to deter a new invasion is what would make any territorial compromise tolerable for Kyiv.
The Europeans want a seat, but Washington is the only party both Moscow and Kyiv will talk to. If Witkoff and Kushner leave Abu Dhabi with a framework and a meeting with Putin, the next step is to put it in writing.