Russia, Ukraine and US Plan Abu Dhabi Talks in November

The Kremlin confirmed on October 23, 2026, that talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States are scheduled for November. It would be the first round planned since negotiations stopped earlier this year, according to Al Jazeera.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the next round is planned for the first half of November in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. The format is trilateral, meaning three parties at the same table. Earlier reporting by Reuters said the talks would be held at a technical level, which means working-level officials rather than heads of government.

The announcement followed a busy week of contacts. US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff travelled to St Petersburg to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin. On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Witkoff, after which Kyiv said it hoped for talks as soon as possible.

Putin, in a televised interview aired late on Thursday, said the trilateral talks should focus on long-term security arrangements for a final peace deal rather than a short truce. A truce is a temporary halt in fighting, while a final peace deal would seek to settle the conflict itself. Putin's remarks suggest Moscow sees the upcoming round as a route to a lasting settlement rather than a pause.

The planned meeting builds on earlier rounds in the same city. On September 25, the United States proposed a trilateral meeting with Ukraine and Russia in the UAE, according to Reuters. Ukrainian and Russian negotiators met in Abu Dhabi on January 23 to discuss territory, and in early February the two sides held a second round of US-brokered talks there. Kyiv's lead negotiator described the first day of that round as productive.

Separately, Russia's Defence Ministry said on October 23 that Moscow and Kyiv had each exchanged 270 prisoners of war. Prisoner exchanges have been one of the few areas where the two sides have repeatedly reached agreement during the war.