Russian, Ukrainian and United States delegations held a second consecutive day of US-mediated peace talks in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, November 11, as Washington continued its efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The second day of negotiations followed approximately four hours of discussions on November 10, marking the first direct trilateral peace talks between Moscow, Kyiv and Washington since February 2026.
Editorial Insight
Key Highlights
Important points readers should notice.
Russia, Ukraine and the United States held the second day of peace talks on November 11.
Abu Dhabi hosted the US-mediated negotiations.
The first day's discussions lasted approximately four hours.
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner represented the United States.
Zelenskyy described the initial discussions as constructive and substantive.
Humanitarian issues, prisoner exchanges and the return of Ukrainian children were discussed.
The US delegation was represented by President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner. Russia's delegation was led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, while Ukraine's delegation was headed by Rustem Umerov.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the first day's discussions as "constructive and quite substantive."
According to Zelenskyy, the talks focused largely on humanitarian issues, including possible prisoner exchanges, the return of Ukrainian civilians held in captivity and the issue of Ukrainian children taken from the country. Security guarantees for Ukraine were also discussed.
Editorial Analysis
Why This Matters
The renewed negotiations represent an important diplomatic effort to address the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Progress on humanitarian issues and security arrangements could help create conditions for further negotiations. However, unresolved territorial disagreements and differences over Europe's role continue to complicate efforts to achieve a settlement.
On November 11, the delegations resumed discussions in a trilateral format involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States. Ukraine's representatives were also scheduled to hold separate consultations with European officials following the trilateral meeting.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the initial discussions as "very productive," while cautioning that reaching an agreement to end the war would require further work.
European representatives, including officials from the European Union and NATO, were present in Abu Dhabi for separate consultations with Ukraine. However, Russia has maintained its opposition to European participation in the direct trilateral negotiations.
Despite the renewed diplomatic engagement, major disagreements remain over territorial issues and Ukraine's future security arrangements. Russia and Ukraine have yet to reach a compromise on the principal conditions for ending the conflict.
The negotiations are taking place amid continued military activity between the two countries, underlining the challenges facing international efforts to secure a lasting settlement.
