The talks are real: on Nov. 10–11, US, Ukrainian and Russian delegations will sit at one table in Abu Dhabi. Moscow “prepared” in its own way: while Americans headed to the polls, missiles were flying at Ukrainian power plants.
Why it matters: This is the first trilateral round since February — and the White House has already paid up front.
The big picture
- US–Ukraine–Russia talks resume Nov. 10–11 in Abu Dhabi, the first round since February. The Kremlin confirmed it.
- Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will lead the US side; Putin aide Vladimir Medinsky leads Russia’s.
- Overnight into Nov. 3, Election Day in the US, Russia launched 289 drones, 17 ballistic and 59 cruise missiles at Ukraine (per Zelenskyy). Kyiv and at least six regions lost power.
- Experts quoted by RFE/RL expect no breakthrough — at best, another prisoner swap and a date for the next meeting.
What we know about the talks
Witkoff announced the meeting on Nov. 2; the Kremlin confirmed it Tuesday morning. Per Reuters, Medinsky — who led the Istanbul talks in spring 2022 — will represent Moscow. A senior US official told RFE/RL that Witkoff and Kushner will lead the American delegation. Ukraine’s delegation has not been officially announced.
Witkoff’s agenda reads like a press release: “post-war security guarantees, de-escalation, humanitarian issues and further steps toward peace.” Note what’s missing: the word “ceasefire.”
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Jan. 23–24, Feb. 4–5 | Trilateral rounds in Abu Dhabi |
| Feb. 17–18 | Round in Geneva |
| Late February | Process frozen by the US–Israel war with Iran |
| Oct. 21 | Witkoff meets Putin in St. Petersburg |
| Nov. 10–11 | New round in Abu Dhabi |
Separately, this week in Brussels, lower-level US officials will discuss security guarantees and reconstruction for Ukraine with France, Germany, the UK, the EU and NATO.
Between the lines: what Washington has already given
Per Axios, the White House hopes Putin will be more accommodating after Trump agreed to lift sanctions on sales of Russian diesel and took other steps Moscow welcomed. The Kremlin’s only visible concession so far: agreeing to show up again.
There is one small real result: last week a US-brokered temporary truce let residents of occupied Oleshky receive humanitarian aid and, if they chose, evacuate (RFE/RL). The Kremlin made clear it does not signal readiness for a broader ceasefire.
The Election Day strike, timed for a distracted Washington
Overnight Tuesday, Russia carried out what Reuters described as a multi-wave attack on Ukraine’s energy system. Hits ranged from Odesa to Rivne. DTEK said three of its five thermal power plants were knocked offline. Railways were hit too.
“It is very telling that all this is happening on the day of the US congressional elections,” Zelenskyy said. The day before, per Axios, he warned Kyiv had intelligence of a strike planned precisely “when the world will be watching the American midterms.” Russia’s Defense Ministry said it targeted facilities powering military plants.
The strike figures are Zelenskyy’s, via Reuters. The claim that Ukraine set fire to a large refinery in Yaroslavl the same night comes from Russian officials only.
The detail that’s hard to miss: in September and October Trump announced the sides had agreed not to hit energy infrastructure. Neither Kyiv nor Moscow confirmed it. And Trump’s criticism was aimed mostly at Ukraine, while he called Russia’s behavior “normal” (Reuters).
Why it matters here
For Americans with family in Kyiv, Odesa or Kharkiv, the coming winter means generators, power banks and blackout schedules again. For everyone else there’s a practical side: lifting sanctions on Russian diesel and talk of Russian gas transiting Ukraine are no longer just diplomacy — they’re energy prices that eventually show up at the pump.
Our view
We think the Kremlin is playing a familiar game: agree to meet, and raise the stakes by force at the same time. A strike on the day of the US election isn’t a coincidence; it’s a message, and it’s addressed to Washington. The American side is paying in advance (diesel, soft rhetoric) and getting an invitation to tea in Abu Dhabi. We’re not against talks — quite the opposite. But if the first item in Abu Dhabi isn’t at least an energy truce that’s actually observed, these will be talks about the postwar order of a war that isn’t ending. The RFE/RL skeptics are right: a prisoner swap is the realistic win. We’d be glad to be wrong.
What’s next
- This week: Brussels consultations on security guarantees and reconstruction.
- Nov. 10–11: Abu Dhabi round. Kyiv says it will put an energy truce at the top of the agenda; whether Moscow will discuss it is unknown.
- Watch for the announcement of Ukraine’s delegation.
FAQ
When and where are the Ukraine peace talks? Nov. 10–11, 2026, in Abu Dhabi (UAE), in a trilateral US–Ukraine–Russia format — the first round since February.
Who is negotiating? Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner for the US, Vladimir Medinsky for Russia. Ukraine’s delegation hasn’t been officially announced.
How will the Nov. 3 strike affect the talks? Kyiv says it will prioritize an energy truce. Whether Moscow engages is unknown; the Kremlin is not agreeing to a ceasefire.
Read also
- US Strikes Iran’s Qeshm Island on the Eve of the Midterms: What We Know
- 2026 Midterm Results: When to Expect Them — and Why the First Numbers Will Fool You
- Election Day Markets: Wall Street Holds Its Breath, Oil Slides Again Despite US Strikes on Iran
Sources
- Axios — US, Russia, Ukraine to resume peace talks in UAE next week (Nov. 3, 2026)
- Reuters (via Investing.com) — Kremlin confirms trilateral Ukraine peace talks in Abu Dhabi next week (Nov. 3, 2026)
- Reuters (via Investing.com) — Russian strikes knock out power to swathes of Ukraine; Kyiv hits Russian refinery (Nov. 3, 2026)
- RFE/RL — US, Russia, Ukraine To Resume Peace Talks Amid Doubts Over Breakthrough
- Kyiv Post — US Sets Nov. 10-11 Ukraine-Russia Talks in Abu Dhabi
By Sergey Danilov, American Panorama
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