U.S. to Mediate Ukraine-Russia Talks in Abu Dhabi Next Week, Witkoff Announces

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff announced Monday that the United States will mediate working-level negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in Abu Dhabi on November 10 and 11. The talks are intended to advance efforts to end Russia’s nearly five-year war in Ukraine and will focus on post-war security arrangements, de-escalation, humanitarian efforts, and next steps toward a peace agreement.

In a post on X, Witkoff stated that the sessions form part of President Donald Trump’s mission to end the war. He added that American negotiators will meet this week in Brussels with representatives from France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and NATO. Those discussions are set to cover security guarantees for Ukraine, Europe’s post-war security architecture, and economic opportunities to support Ukraine’s reconstruction. Witkoff said the United States looks forward to building on progress made in earlier meetings in Kyiv, Oslo, and St. Petersburg.

A senior U.S. official told Reuters that Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law, are expected to represent the United States in Abu Dhabi. NATO confirmed that Alliance representatives will participate in the Brussels meetings with officials from France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States to discuss further steps toward ending the conflict.

The announcement follows Witkoff’s October 21 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg. Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said after that nearly three-hour session that Russia was ready in principle to resume trilateral talks around November 10, with a primary focus on post-war security arrangements for Russia and Ukraine. During the St. Petersburg meeting, Russia also released Stephen Hubbard, a U.S. citizen who had been held for more than four years. Witkoff had traveled to Russia after talks in Oslo with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders, which a U.S. official described as productive and constructive. Zelenskyy stated afterward that proposals discussed included security guarantees modeled on NATO’s Article 5.

The last previous round of U.S.-mediated talks between the parties took place in February, before U.S. and Israeli operations against Iran. Russian officials have indicated that Moscow’s main interest in renewed talks centers on establishing a security system after the fighting ends. Ukrainian officials have said they are coordinating with European partners ahead of the Abu Dhabi sessions. As of Monday, the Kremlin had not issued a formal public confirmation of the exact dates and location announced by Witkoff.

The planned talks continue a series of U.S. diplomatic contacts that have included meetings in Kyiv and European capitals. Witkoff has conducted multiple rounds of shuttle diplomacy involving both the Ukraine conflict and other regional issues. The Brussels meetings this week are scheduled to address security guarantees and reconstruction support as part of the broader framework under discussion for the Abu Dhabi sessions.