Russia Confirms Nov. 10 Ukraine Peace Talks in Abu Dhabi

Russia officially confirmed on Tuesday that peace negotiations with Ukraine and the United States will occur in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Nov. 10 and 11. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced the schedule during a conference call with reporters. He identified Vladimir Medinsky, a Putin aide, as the head of the Russian delegation for the upcoming sessions.

The confirmation follows remarks made late Monday by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff. Witkoff stated that Washington will mediate the talks with a specific focus on security arrangements, de-escalation, and humanitarian matters. He added that American negotiators will meet European and NATO officials in Brussels this week to discuss postwar security guarantees and the reconstruction of Ukraine.

In a separate development, the White House announced that First Lady Melania Trump will host Russian and Ukrainian representatives at the White House on Thursday. The summit is designed to discuss the local ceasefire in the Kherson region. The administration described the event as an extraordinary moment in American history but did not identify the specific representatives expected to attend. Trump is scheduled to deliver remarks on the Oleshky ceasefire at 11 a.m. ET.

The announcement came one day after a six-day ceasefire ended in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky and nearby areas of Kherson. The White House stated that the first lady brokered the pause in fighting to allow residents to evacuate. Ukraine accused Russia on Monday of exploiting the truce to strengthen its military positions in the city.

Peskov also indicated that the Kremlin is considering a trilateral meeting among the leaders of Russia, the U.S., and China. He said Moscow hopes to finalize arrangements for this summit within the coming days. These comments followed earlier reports that the three countries were weighing negotiations to end the war without Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy present.

Zelenskyy has insisted that Kyiv must be part of any talks determining Ukraine's future. Speaking on Oct. 20, he said, "It can be acceptable only when we are at the table of negotiations." He noted that he had discussed the proposal for a three-way meeting to end the nearly five-year full-scale war. He added, "Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine."

Relations between Washington and Kyiv have grown strained in recent weeks. Moscow and Kyiv have continued exchanging strikes on civilian and energy infrastructure. A series of moves by the Trump administration in October raised doubts about whether Washington remains a dependable military partner for Ukraine.