Tripartite negotiations between Russia, Ukraine, and the United States have begun in Abu Dhabi. These negotiations will take place on November 10 and 11, 2026, and aim to explore solutions to end the war that started in February 2022.
Conflicting Positions of Russia and Ukraine
Russia and Ukraine have significant disagreements regarding their demands concerning this war. Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, is calling for the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson, which Russia illegally annexed in September 2022. Putin has warned that he will use military force if these demands are not accepted.
On the other hand, Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, has rejected any territorial concessions that Russia has not been able to seize militarily. Zelensky is also opposed to any limitations on the size of the Ukrainian armed forces or restrictions on cooperation with Western partners.
Composition of the Negotiating Teams
The Ukrainian delegation is led by Rustem Umerov, the head of the country's Foreign Intelligence Service. Other members of this team include Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Zelensky's office, and Davyd Arakhamia, the leader of the parliamentary faction of the Servant of the People party.
On the Russian side, the negotiating team is led by Vladimir Medinsky, an advisor to Putin. Other members of this team include Deputy Foreign Ministers Sergey Ryabkov and Mikhail Galuzin, Military Intelligence Chief Igor Kostyukov, and Yuri Zhigarlovsky, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Army.
According to Umerov, representatives from Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and Italy, along with NATO and European Union officials, will hold separate negotiations with members of the Ukrainian team. Additionally, Jared Kushner, son-in-law of the former President of the United States, and Steve Witkoff, a real estate mogul, will also meet with Ukrainian, European Union, NATO, and other country representatives on behalf of the United States.
These tripartite negotiations between Russia, Ukraine, and the United States are taking place as efforts to end a war that has lasted over 56 months continue intensely. Previous negotiations have failed to lead to a lasting peace, and Russia continues to demand territorial changes that Ukraine has opposed.
The European Union, seeking a seat at the negotiating table, has sent representatives, although these individuals are not expected to participate in the main negotiations.
