The US, Russia and Ukraine have resumed trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi today - 10-11 November, the first direct three-way session since Geneva in February. The UAE is hosting as a neutral mediator - it has brokered 27+ prisoner exchanges so far.
This is not a peace deal summit. US officials themselves are calling it a "re-start" to identify common ground.
Who is at the table:
- *US:* Special Envoy Steve Witkoff + Jared Kushner (Trump's son-in-law, special envoy)
- *Ukraine:* Rustem Umerov (Foreign Intelligence Service chief, delegation head), Kyrylo Budanov (Head of Presidential Office), Davyd Arakhamia (Servant of the People leader), plus military intel
- *Russia:* Vladimir Medinsky (Putin aide), plus high-ranking military/intel officials
- *Europe - parallel track:* Not in the main room at Moscow's insistence, but present in Abu Dhabi for separate consultations - UK NSA Jonathan Powell, France's Emmanuel Bonne, Germany's Günter Sautter, Italy's Fabrizio Saggio, plus NATO and EU Commission. US plans to "run on parallel tracks" with them
What is on the agenda:
1. *Security guarantees - the core issue:* Ukraine wants a NATO Article 5-style guarantee against another Russian invasion. US briefing says first session will focus on “security guarantees and... long-term security architecture between Russia and Europe”
2. *De-escalation, not ceasefire:* Limited steps - an energy infrastructure ceasefire (both sides have been hitting power grids), a Black Sea shipping ceasefire to revive grain exports, and ceasefire monitoring mechanisms.
3. *Humanitarian:* More prisoner exchanges, return of children, and using the Oleshky model from late October (temporary truce arranged with help from Melania Trump for civilian evacuation) for other villages.
4. *Preparing a leaders summit:* Kyiv wants to set procedural groundwork for a direct Zelenskyy-Putin-Trump meeting. Zelenskyy said he briefed PM Modi of India and that "Our team will propose de-escalation steps... to organize the trilateral format at the leaders level" ac15395f
*What NOT to expect:*
No breakthrough on territory. Russia occupies ∼20% of Ukraine and demands full Donbas. Ukraine refuses to cede territory. A US official told Reuters any territorial deal would come at the _end_, after security issues. Ukrainian MP Davyd Arakhamia: “I don't think there will be a breakthrough... Simply the fact that trilateral talks are being resumed can be counted as a success.”
Analysts warn of a "Yalta-2" fear - that US and Russia cut a deal over Europe's head. Zelenskyy pushed back: “We do not want a Yalta-2. We will not allow Russia to carve us up.”
Realistic outcome: A roadmap, maybe a grain deal and energy pause, and a date for the next round.