The first Abu Dhabi talks on 10 November begin with Ukraine setting out de-escalation steps and seeking a possible leaders-level trilateral format, while deliberately lowering expectations of an immediate breakthrough. That is a more credible description of the meeting than treating its opening as a peace achievement in itself.
After a meeting of the Stavka on 9 November, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s negotiating team was already in the UAE and that the first meeting would take place on Tuesday. He said the team would propose de-escalation steps in Abu Dhabi and seek clarity on how a trilateral format at leaders’ level could be organised. He also linked Ukraine’s negotiating position to the work of Ukrainian forces at the front.
Those stated goals matter because they give the first round a concrete test: whether participants can move beyond broad language about peace toward discussion of de-escalation, security, and a possible next-level format. The supplied reports, however, contain no public ceasefire terms, draft joint document, or security-guarantee plan.
Davyd Arakhamia, a member of Ukraine’s delegation, told DW that after a long pause, the resumption of talks was itself an achievement. He said expectations for the first meeting were minimal and that he expected more from a second round. That does not make the opening meeting insignificant. It sets an appropriate standard for it: the round should test whether declared positions can become substantive work.
An unnamed US official, cited by Reuters ahead of the talks, said security guarantees for Ukraine would be among the main subjects and described cautious US optimism about possible progress. The official also offered an assessment of Russia’s willingness to end the war. That assessment is an attributed US official view, not a Russian commitment or an agreement among the parties.
The useful measure for Abu Dhabi is therefore whether it produces practical movement on de-escalation, security, and a further negotiating format. Starting the talks has diplomatic significance, but it cannot substitute for the terms the parties still need to work out.
Sources
- Українська правда · Source date: 2026-11-09
- Українська правда · Source date: 2026-11-09
- Українська правда · Source date: 2026-11-09
Independent editorial content. WUA is not affiliated with any political party. 2026-11-09