In a new effort to resume the diplomatic track and reach an agreement to end the war that has been ongoing since February 2022, Abu Dhabi will host a new round of talks between the United States, Russia, and Ukraine on November 10 and 11.

Return of Diplomatic Efforts

The Axios website reported that U.S. officials stated that the meeting aims to resume diplomatic efforts, which halted last February due to the Iran war, and comes as a result of talks held by U.S. President's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin in recent weeks.

Kushner and Witkoff are leading the U.S. delegation participating in the talks. Witkoff stated yesterday, Monday, that the negotiations will focus on post-war security arrangements, humanitarian efforts, and the next steps toward peace. He expressed hope to build on the progress made in Kyiv, Oslo, and St. Petersburg to reach a comprehensive and lasting peace agreement that provides security and stability for future generations.

He noted that U.S. negotiators will meet this week in Brussels with representatives from France, Germany, Britain, the European Union, and NATO to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine, economic support for reconstruction, and other issues.

Will Putin Make Concessions?

The White House hopes that Putin will show a greater willingness to make concessions after Trump agreed to lift sanctions on Russian diesel sales and took other steps that were welcomed in Moscow. However, the only clear concession Putin has made so far is his agreement to resume talks, according to Axios.

Positions remain far apart, especially regarding territory, the escalating Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities, and Putin's refusal to agree to a ceasefire casts doubt on the chances of making progress.

Zelensky announced yesterday that Ukraine has intelligence indicating that Russia is preparing to launch a new large-scale attack targeting Ukrainian energy and logistics facilities on Tuesday, "at a time when the world will be watching the midterm elections."

Recently, Trump has moved towards improving relations with Putin by reaching an agreement to purchase oil from Russia and criticizing Ukraine for targeting Russian oil refineries.

Security Guarantees on the Negotiation Table

In Moscow, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that security guarantees for Russia and Ukraine will be among the main issues on the agenda of the trilateral talks.

He emphasized that any settlement of the conflict must be based on mutual security guarantees, noting that discussing this issue is an essential part of efforts to reach a comprehensive agreement.

Kyiv seeks to link any agreement to cease hostilities with arrangements that ensure its long-term security, while Moscow demands that its so-called security interests be taken into account in any final settlement.

Zelensky previously confirmed in earlier statements that his country is ready to discuss a comprehensive ceasefire or more limited agreements that include energy facilities and maritime operations if a broader understanding cannot be reached.

He pointed out the need to move the talks from the technical level to the leaders' level to address the more complex political issues, foremost among them regional matters and security guarantees.