Zelensky says US, Russian and Ukrainian negotiators will meet in Abu Dhabi in early November
A technical-level round in the United Arab Emirates gives the latest peace push a venue and a date, after Steve Witkoff’s ninth meeting with Vladimir Putin.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian, Russian and US negotiators will meet in early November in Abu Dhabi4.
He described the planned meeting as a technical-level session, and said trilateral peace talks with Russian and US negotiators would begin in November3,5.
Russia and Ukraine have both said talks are planned for November in the United Arab Emirates6.
Zelensky announced the plan after holding discussions on 23 October with US representatives Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff5.
The commitment follows Witkoff’s meeting with Putin in St Petersburg on 21 October9.
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How the talks came together
Witkoff, the US presidential envoy, secured the latest commitment to talks after shuttling between Oslo and St Petersburg1,7.
Earlier in the week he met Zelensky in Oslo during a trip to Norway, before meeting Putin3.
The St Petersburg visit was Witkoff’s ninth meeting with Putin since February 20258.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store and the Finnish president appeared with Zelensky and Witkoff during the Nordic leg of the trip4.
Zelensky said Ukraine is ready to end the war as quickly as possible9.
The diplomacy runs alongside a separate track involving Melania Trump, which has drawn attention to the push for new talks1,7.
Why it matters to investors
A fixed venue and a target date give markets a concrete marker for any easing of the war3,4.
The talks come during a slump in US-Ukrainian ties, in which Trump increased pressure on Zelensky and accused him of being an obstacle1,2.
Kyiv has nonetheless said it is grateful that US intelligence and early warnings about Russian ballistic attacks were restored, a sign that working links between the two governments have resumed2.
Whether the Abu Dhabi round makes progress will shape expectations for sanctions on Russia and for European security, both of which bear on energy and defence markets5,6.
What to watch
The first test is whether the technical-level meeting takes place on schedule in early November4,5.
The second is who leads each delegation, since Kushner and Witkoff have been the US channel to both Kyiv and Moscow3,5.
The third is whether a technical round moves to talks at a higher level, which Zelensky has framed as part of his aim to end the war quickly3,9.
A fourth is whether Witkoff, who has now met Putin nine times since February 2025, travels to Russia again before the round8.
Sources
- Ukraine and Russia eye new peace talks — and Melania Trump’s mission - The Washington Post, washingtonpost.com (2026-10-24)
- Key dates in the latest slump in US-Ukrainian ties | Reuters, reuters.com (2026-10-24)
- Trilateral peace talks with Russia, US negotiators to begin in November, Zelensky says, kyivindependent.com (2026-10-24)
- Zelenskyy says Ukrainian, Russian and US negotiators to meet in early November in Abu Dhabi, ksl.com (2026-10-24)
- Ukraine, US, and Russian Negotiators Plan Technical-Level Meeting in Abu Dhabi in ..., united24media.com (2026-10-24)
- Russia and Ukraine say talks planned for November in UAE - Al Jazeera, aljazeera.com (2026-10-24)
- Ukraine and Russia eye new peace talks — and Melania Trump’s mission - WSLS 10, wsls.com (2026-10-24)
- Did Witkoff make any progress with Putin? - RTE, rte.ie (2026-10-24)
- Zelenskyy: We are ready to end this war as quickly as possible, pravda.com.ua (2026-10-24)
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