In brief
Abu Dhabi will host a second day of Ukraine talks this Wednesday, with U.S. President Donald Trump, who met with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev earlier in the week, expressing optimism for a historic deal. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned Moscow would not cease operations before the talks and criticized the possibility of a ceasefire as a “respite” for Ukraine. Ukrainian officials highlighted key issues such as security guarantees, the Black Sea de‑escalation, and prisoner exchanges, yet experts caution that immediate results are unlikely. Europe’s participation remains uncertain, and a Kremlin statement confirms the negotiations will remain a trilateral forum involving only Russia, Ukraine and the United States.
Abu Dhabi will host the second day of Ukraine talks this Wednesday, as delegations from the United States, Russia and Ukraine prepare to convene a two‑day negotiation round, according to Xinhua news. The meeting follows President Donald Trump’s meeting with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev in Washington on Nov. 5, which ended with Trump declaring he expected a “big, beautiful agreement” that “might involve all of Europe.”
"We will reach a big, beautiful agreement that might involve all of Europe," proclaimed President Donald Trump.
In contrast, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, as Xinhua reported, reiterated Moscow’s opposition to a ceasefire that would give Ukraine a respite, stressing that Russia does not plan to halt combat operations ahead of the trilateral talks. The Kremlin’s position is that any pause in fighting would merely serve Ukrainian propaganda.
"Russia’s position against a ceasefire that would give the Ukrainians ‘a respite,’ adding that Moscow does not plan to halt combat operations ahead of the trilateral talks," said Spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
The Russian delegation, led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, has drawn criticism from U.S. think‑tank analysts, who view Medinsky’s past attempts to stall the Geneva talks in February over references to the war’s historical roots as evidence Moscow is not ready for good‑faith negotiations.
Zhang Hong of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences echoed this skepticism, stating there is a clear misalignment of objectives among Russia, Ukraine and the United States, and that conditions for a high‑level leaders’ meeting remain unestablished.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the Abu Dhabi talks will cover security guarantees, Black Sea de‑escalation, energy, prisoner exchanges and preparing the agenda for a future leaders’ meeting. Ukrainian experts, however, believe the talks are unlikely to deliver immediate results; former ambassador Andriy Veselovsky told Ukrinform that the session will mainly serve to persuade the US administration to intensify support for Kyiv.
Consistent with Arabnews reporting, Kremlin officials confirmed that the talks will remain a purely trilateral forum involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States, with no formal European participation, thereby underscoring the role of Russia’s current diplomatic posture in shaping the negotiations.
