U.S. Plans Ukraine-Russia Talks in Abu Dhabi Next Week, Envoy Says

Dates set for a new round of talks

Updated November 2, 2026, 6:25 p.m. Central

The United States plans to mediate working-level talks between Ukraine and Russia in Abu Dhabi on November 10 and 11, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said Monday.

Witkoff said the agenda will include security arrangements after the war, de-escalation and humanitarian issues. The announcement sets dates for a proposed return to three-way negotiations; it does not announce a ceasefire or a peace agreement. Witkoff’s statement · Associated Press

The United Arab Emirates capital has hosted previous rounds. Axios reported that Witkoff and fellow U.S. envoy Jared Kushner will lead the American delegation.

Security and humanitarian issues are on the table

The planned meetings are at the working level: officials are expected to discuss the details of possible arrangements, rather than announce a meeting of the countries’ presidents. Witkoff also said U.S. representatives will meet European and NATO officials in Brussels this week to discuss security guarantees and reconstruction. AP

Security guarantees are commitments intended to deter or respond to future attacks. Their scope, who would provide them and how they would be enforced remain central questions; announcing an agenda does not settle them.

Negotiators still face major differences

Russia agreed last month to resume three-way talks aimed at ending its war in Ukraine, AP reported. In October, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country needed strong security guarantees; the Kremlin said the planned discussions would address long-term security arrangements. Previous U.S.-brokered meetings made little progress, Al Jazeera and AFP reported.

Territory remains a major point of disagreement, Axios reported. It is not yet clear whether the proposed sessions will bridge that gap, produce an agreement, or lead to further negotiations.

Fighting continues as diplomacy resumes

The announcement came as Ukrainian officials reported that Russian bombs hit an aid distribution center and nearby shelter in Komyshuvakha in the southern Zaporizhzhia region on Monday. Officials said 26 people were killed and about 20 were missing, according to AP. Those figures were the latest available in that report and could change.

A separate, limited humanitarian ceasefire in the Kherson region expired Monday, AP reported. It was a local arrangement, not a nationwide end to the war.

Where the talks are planned

The star marks central Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. It identifies the host city, not a confirmed meeting venue.

Map data: OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Open map.

Key dates

1. February 4–5, 2026 U.S., Ukrainian and Russian delegations meet in Abu Dhabi. U.S. envoy’s readout
2. October 23, 2026 Moscow and Kyiv indicate that three-way talks are planned for November. Al Jazeera / AFP
3. November 2, 2026 Witkoff announces the November dates and proposed agenda. Envoy’s statement
4. November 10–11, 2026 Working-level talks are planned in Abu Dhabi. AP

Dates are those reported by the sources; no meeting times have been announced.

The U.S. envoy’s announcement

Witkoff announced the proposed dates and agenda in this post. The talks have not yet taken place.

Read Witkoff’s announcement on X

Open the original post on X if the embed does not load.

Sources and visual credits

Steve Witkoff on X · Associated Press · Axios · Al Jazeera / AFP.

Hero and thumbnail: generated conceptual editorial illustration; not a photograph of the meeting.