Illustrative photo via Pexels
Delegations from Russia, Ukraine and the United States have gathered in Abu Dhabi for two days of US-mediated talks on November 10 and 11, the first trilateral meeting between the three sides since February.
The US team is led by envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Ukraine’s delegation is headed by Rustem Umerov, while Russia’s is led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, according to Meduza. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the format as trilateral talks with Washington acting as mediator.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said security issues would be the first item on the agenda. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said work on a post-conflict security architecture had advanced, but stressed that nothing had been finalised.
Expectations for a breakthrough are low. Analysts interviewed by Al Jazeera said territory and security guarantees remain the main obstacles, and Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksandr Merezhko said he did not expect tangible progress.
Reports differ on whether European officials are present: Meduza reported that national security advisers from France, Germany and the UK, along with EU and NATO representatives, would be in Abu Dhabi without joining the trilateral sessions, while Al Jazeera cited the Kremlin as saying no European officials would attend. Irrawaddy Media will update this story as the talks conclude.
Sources: Meduza, Al Jazeera. Photo: Pexels (illustrative).
